Touchstone Pictures | 2010 | 107 mins. | PG-13
Clearly, time flies as we’ve already been graced with the third film in the Step Up series. Of course, since 3D is all the rage as of this writing, the film was released theatrically as Step Up 3D and has been given the Blu-ray treatment as well. But alas, for those of us who haven’t switched over our equipment yet, there’s the option of the non-3D Blu-ray combo pack and single-unit DVD marketed as simply Step Up 3.
The story is about a group of dancers all living under the same roof. Luke (Rick Malambri), their leader, is a sensitive, rich white boy determined to continue his parents’ dream of opening a loft for young dancers looking for both a studio to practice in and a place to live. As the story begins, we are introduced to Moose (Adam Sevani) who has temporarily given up his dancing ambitions to study engineering at NYU. Along for the ride, is his best friend Camille (Alyson Stoner). However, once he hits the campus, Moose is once again overtaken by the need to dance. Luke takes note of Moose’s abilities and promptly takes him back to his loft. There, Luke leads a dance crew known as the House of Pirates.
Luke’s club, The Vault is facing foreclosure. The only way to save it is for Moose to join Luke’s dance group and win a big dance competition (taking on Luke’s nemesis in the process). Into the mix comes the beautiful Natalie (Sharni Vinson) who Luke quickly recruits to be part of the ‘crew’. Can they win the competition so Luke can keep his loft/club?
If you haven’t guessed already, the plot is cookie cutter. The screenplay by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer (both making their screenwriting debut) is strictly paint-by-the-numbers. There’s the kid whose parents disapprove of his dancing, the deadline to raise money before the Bankers foreclose on the loft, the “look how much we’re improving!” montages, the increasingly high-stake competitions, the second-act break-ups followed by third-act reconciliations…the list goes on and on. With absolutely nothing original to offer, Step Up 3 simply recycles moments from other forgettable films of this type.
However, if you watch Step Up 3 for the dance sequences and look at the plot as connectors for those sequences, the film offers something. The choreography is first rate, and the star of the show, making up for some decidedly amateur acting. Director Jon Chu and choreographer Dave Scott ensure that the dance scenes sparkle. While these kids aren’t great actors, they are incredible dancers and great fun to watch. They are so good, that at times, it’s easy to forget no special effects were used.
Note: As stated earlier, Step Up 3 was presented in theatres as Step Up 3-D, and there are moments when this causes the 2-D presentation to feel a bit peculiar. There are instances where 3-D gimmickry is present that look rather wacky in 2-D.
Step Up 3 is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, “enhanced” for 16×9 televisions. The transfer provides wonderful detail. Black levels are strong, skin tones realistic looking, and colors nearly as vibrant as the dance routines A few scenes look a little soft, and there’s a little more atmospheric grain in some shots than in others. Other than that, it’s a strong visual presentation, with no visible artifacts.
The audio is strong, with the dance scenes at the forefront. The throbbing bass and busy sound design really provides an immersive experience during these moments. The only problem issue: the dance scenes are so loud that you’ll probably need to adjust the volume when the quietier dialogue scenes commence.
We get the following special features: a full-length copy of the short film that Luke was making during the movie: “Born from a Boom Box.” Beyond that, there are seven more minutes of dance sequences, nine music videos (30 min. total), a seven-minute “Making the Music Videos” promo-style featurette, eight deleted scenes that run for a total of 24 additional minutes, and a DVD copy of the film.
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