Summit EntertainmentReview in a Hurry: The Step Up franchise jumps off the big screen in 3-D. The acting and the story can just step off since the dance battles impress and the 3-D is the best since Avatar.
No, we're not kidding.
The Bigger Picture: The House of Pirates, a place where NYC's finest street dancers strive to be the best is struggling. As club owner Luke (Rick Malambri) worries about paying the rent, he meets Moose (Adam G. Sevani, returning from Step Up 2: The Streets) and sexy club gal Natalie (Sharni Vinson). With their mad skillz in sync, maybe they can lead the Pirates team to victory at the Ultimate Dance Showdown? First prize is $100K. That should cover rent...and a few windbreakers.
To a hip-hop newbie every pop, lock and roll may look repetitive, but choreographer Jamal Sims has devised some jaw-dropping, killer routines. The acrobatics are so unreal you'll strain your eyes looking for wires that just have to be there. How else can a dancer seemingly hang upside-down like that?
Step Up 3D is the first live-action film since Avatar to actually have been shot in 3-D. (Clash of the Titans and Alice In Wonderland were converted to 3-D in post.) The difference is huge. The clarity is stunningly bright and crisp—every tricked-out arm and leg are comin' at ya. Cheesy? A bit, but using 3-D to enhance the dance floor feels more honest than the dull 3-D of The Last Airbender.
The story is paper-thin though, and none of the acting performances are memorable. But this is the best dancical since Step-Up 2: The Streets. Step Up 3D Keeps a high energy level for a tight 97 minutes in digital 3-D, and that's just the right move.
The 180—a Second Opinion: Fans of Step-Up 2: The Streets will find the casting of Sharni Vinson as Natalie a bit confusing. She looks and sounds a lot like Briana Evigan who played Andie in Step Up 2. (And she pretty much has the same wardrobe.) She isn't the same character or the same actress, so you wonder why the producers didn't branch out.