“Maybe we’re all plugged into the same song.” And so starts the deep discussion on dance and life that runs through Step Up 3. I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen the first two Step Up movies. But Step Up 3 was the perfect mindless movie to watch after a long week of work. I snuggled up under the covers, grabbed some snacks, and completely tuned out as I started the movie. While the movie wasn’t actually good, it did make me laugh, probably much more than it was supposed to.
The basic “plot” of the movie is this: On Moose’s first day as an NYU freshman, he meets Luke, a good-looking orphan boy indie filmmaker on the verge of losing his (not-so-ordinary) home. After a spontaneous dance battle in Washington Square Park, Luke brings Moose to his secret hideout, better known as The Vault. The Vault is a land where misfit dancers come together to live and practice under the crew name of The Pirates. Moose soon joins the Pirate family, ditching his high school BFF Camille for a secret life as a dancer. When Luke’s rival Julian threatens to buy The Vault, The Pirates must band together, with the help of new friend Natalie, to win the World Jam dance battle and save their home. But as plot-structure dictates, things aren’t always as they seem.
It’s almost a wonder as to why the writers bothered with a plot at all in this film. It’s not that the plot is totally incoherent, it’s that the actors are so bad they make a relatively simple story hard to watch. The two “heartthrobs” of the movie are almost painful to see act. Sharni Vinson (Natalie) redeems herself with her dancing, but I’m not sure Rick Malambri (Luke) is any more of a dancer than he is an actor. The relationship between the two characters is supposed to be incredibly romantic, but is laughable, epitomized when Luke brings Natalie to his favorite spot in Brooklyn where the two spend time blowing Icee bubbles that rise into the sky. The two lack chemistry, and Luke as a deep, struggling filmmaker is wasted in such a superficial film. The best character by far in the movie is Moose, played by Adam G. Sevani, who was introduced in Step Up 2: The Streets. Moose is cute, endearing, and funny, with just the right amount of nerd thrown in. He even has pretty decent chemistry with Camille (Alyson Stoner), his blossoming love interest.
The quality of dancing is so impressive that it’s almost possible to overlook negatives in the film. Almost. It may have been better if the dancers hadn’t been given speaking roles, for while some audiences may find the bumbling Santiago twins hysterical, anyone over the age of 12 really shouldn’t find anything they say funny. While the dancing was phenomenal, I couldn’t help asking myself if all these underground dance clubs, warehouses and rivalries could possible really exist beneath the street New York City streets I walk every day. Perhaps it exists without my knowledge and while I’m off listening to music, others are dancing their hearts out underground. Maybe the message of Luke’s film, “Born From A Boombox”, is true; maybe we really are all just plugged into the same song.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The DVD bonus features aren’t quite as impressive as the ones on the Blu-ray. The Blu-ray has a short documentary by character Luke, deleted scenes, a highlight reel of the sneakers in the film, a look at the dance competition, a piece on the capoeira dance style, and a look at the Redhook neighborhood. On the DVD we get to see some “Extra Moves,” “Making the Music Videos,” and 8 Music Videos, mostly from Atlantic Records Artists. These videos give us a little behind the scenes action, and a lot more dancing.
"Step Up 3" is on sale December 21, 2010 and is rated PG13. Drama. Directed by John Chu. Written by Amy Andelson, Emily Meyer and Duane Adler. Starring Adam G Sevani, Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson.
