STEP UP 2 THE STREETS (2008)

by Dave White

Who's in It: Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Adam G. Sevani, Danielle Polanco, Will Kemp

The Basics: Dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing. This is done in front of parents who just don't understand, teachers who just don't understand, rival dancers who just don't understand — and in the rain. That there's not "Hot Lunch Jam" taking place during the cafeteria scenes is sort of a shocking omission.

What's the Deal? This genre has a problem that plagues it. And that problem is almost always this: too much yappy-yap yapping about the tired plot. Oh, you're a dancer, and you have to strive to prove that you're gifted? Big deal. Shut up and do it. That's what was wrong with the terrible original Step Up. Well, someone must have decided that it was time for the story to get out of the way of the dancing, because this astonishingly fun movie is a perfect example of how style sometimes is substance. Think words are boring and dumb? Like dancing instead? Then you're going to have a great time.

Seriously, Here's How Every Scene Plays Out:

Example 1:
Guy: Hey, what's up?
Girl: Not much. Let's do some crazy dancing.
Crazy dancing begins.

Example 2:
Teacher: You will now stop all this crazy dancing and learn ballet.
Girl: Whatever.
Crazy dancing begins.

Fun Facts About the Cast: The uptight dance-academy director is that guy (Kemp) who suddenly became a big sex symbol when he danced in that Gap commercial a few years ago. The lead girl (Evigan) is the daughter of '70s BJ and the Bear (you know, the one about the trucker and his monkey sidekick) star Greg Evigan. And Hoffman, who's like Channing Tatum 2.0, has danced in all kinds of crappy movies like Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, You Got Served, Gigli and From Justin to Kelly.

Don't Be Late and Here's Why: The opening scene of people dancing on the subway is flabbergasting. So much insane, borderline-violent choreography goes down in the first three minutes that it's frightening, like someone made a horror movie with beats.

CRITICS' REVIEWS SOURCE RATING THE GIST POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR STEP UP 2 THE STREETS Chicago Tribune 3 stars/4 "… a full-on dance musical, its plot a mere slip of a thing designed to whisk you to the next excuse for another choreographic and ab-centric display." Variety N/A "… this hip-hop-powered sequel is all about new moves …" MIXED REVIEWS FOR STEP UP 2 THE STREETS Entertainment Weekly B- "… doesn't skimp on cool pretzel moves." Hollywood Reporter N/A "… gets the job done, essentially resembling a longform music video interrupted by a perfunctory plot." New York Times N/A "… posits a universe where racial and class differences are minor obstacles to fun and pretends its clichés aren't clichés." San Francisco Chronicle N/A "… foot-stomping fun." TV Guide 2 stars/4 "… foot-stomping fun." USA Today 2 stars/4 "… the dance scenes feel like a diversion, since the story, acting and dialogue are sadly lacking in originality and substance."