Step Up - Miami Heat

I am shedding my weird, creepy hoody that I hide out with and telling everyone that I am a fan of the Step Up franchise. Yes I'm a little embarrassed and honestly I'm not saying the movies are good but as far as guilty pleasures go they are absolutely divine. With the exception of the first installment which although starred a young sexy Channing Tatum in his first lead role took it self way too seriously to be entertaining. And thats a huge reason why these films work because from it's superior sequel, best of the franchise and one of the best dance movies ever made Step Up 2 The Streets the movies have found this odd balance off fiery kinetic dancing, likable personalities, overly melodramatic and unintentionally funny performances, ferocious cinematography and hammy storytelling that just works. You laugh, you clap and sometimes you tear up at the clichéd and expected finale. This entry fares better than the last which was still pretty damn good. It centers on "The Mob" a dance group of struggling artists looking to make their mark on pop culture by staging creative dance mobs so that they can get 10,000,000 views on you tube and get a hefty $100,000 prize. (which split between the 50 person team isn't very much but I'll let it pass). Anyways he comes in contact with another struggling young dancer whose well not very struggling since her Daddy is a billionaire whose looking to tear down the middle/poor class neighborhood they live in and make it into a huge resort. Enter the film's interestingly semi fleshed out plot as they decide to change their flash mobs from breezy dance numbers to ones with meaning as they protest "The Man" so to speak. Of course their is some third act drama to cause a downward spiral before wrapping it up in the films inspired finale which was in fact inspired by the classic film The Warriors. The dancing is amazing and for the first time in the series they incorporate different styles of dance such as contemporary and modern to successfully winning measures. Kathryn McCormick of So you think you can dance has some crazy sizzle in the lead when it comes to her dancing but her acting is well questionable in the essence of I'm not actually sure that's what she's doing. Slightly more successful and way hotter is MMA fighter Ryan Guzman as the film's thankfully mostly shirtless leading man. He's got the body of a Greek god and the talent when it comes to dancing but hey let's just leave the acting out of this equation. You know there's a problem when the film's best performance dramatically is from Peter Gallagher as her over bearing, greedy Father. And watching the two of them together trying to force some type of connection is akin to watching erasers on a desk facing each other. That being said they are hot and very talented when dancing. And when they are it's fire. And thats basically the film as with the other installments when they try for the drama it's unintentionally funny and it works in a so bad it's good way but when they perform you see the kinetic, addictive energy that makes these films so endearing. 4/5

Each new installment of the "Step Up" franchise is a step down from the last. "Step Up Revolution" stars Kathryn McCormick ("So You Think You Can Dance") and Ryan Guzman. The story is about a group of dancers called The Mob, which performs flash mobs all over the city of Miami. In order to win a YouTube contest with a grand prize, each of their performances are filmed and put online to get the most views that they possibly can receive.

Sean (Guzman) first meets Emily (McCormick) at a party and she eventually joins The Mob. However, they soon find out that some successful businessman is planning to tear down The Mob members' neighborhood. This businessman just happens to be Emily's father. Didn't see that one coming…

The rest of the movie involves The Mob using their talents to protest and win their neighborhood back, while Emily is conflicted between her father and her new crew.

My expectations were pretty low going in, but somehow this movie is even worse than I had expected. Yes, the dancing is incredible and the choreography is quite inventive, but it doesn't make up for the awful acting and overly familiar story. Kathryn McCormick and Ryan Guzman had no chemistry, nor do they have much of an acting background. The plot is extremely predictable and the script is as cheesy as it gets.

The only enjoyable scenes are those that involve dancing. The rest is tough to sit through. There are a few cameos in an attempt to somehow connect the fourth "Step Up" to the previous two, which was a nice surprise.

If you loved "Step Up 2: The Streets" and "Step Up 3D", I'm sure you'll love this one too. It's incomparable to the first "Step Up", which is less of a 'dance movie' and more of a movie that includes dance within it.

I give "Step Up Revolution" a 4 out of 10. If it weren't for the amazing dancing, I'd give it a 1.

Strength of will and right attitude are the main ingredients for getting what you want. It is not always about being in the right place at the right time. But also making sure those two will meet you half way.

"Step Up Revolution" has for once broken the stigma created by movies where every teenage- dancing character has one and only thing in their minds: fame and fortune. This time they go a bit deeper in search of something more than self assurance or rebel behaviour, trying to bring justice to their people instead of thinking the world revolves around them. The music is not so catchy but the well choreographed flash-mob style performances are quite interesting. It's a good entertainment for dance lovers or anyone in the mood for a good time.

So sorry this is late, but let's face it there shouldn't be any mystery behind the Step Up genre. Over the last six years, these dance flicks have continued to pour out into the theaters and with today's modern television have been eaten up by the public. While the dancing has always been entertaining on various levels, the producers are still struggling to add diversity and that something new to keep the crowd interested. Unfortunately for the last two installments, that new edge is 3-D, which may have you wondering, "Is this really needed for a dance movie?" Well I'm back from a late showing to give you the scoop on Step Up Revolution and hopefully answer your questions of whether this sequel is worth a watch.

As many of you may have noticed, the Step Up series started out balanced in story, character development, and well choreographed dance moves. However, like so many modern movies these days the story is usually sacrificed for some other movie magic that usually is overused more than the send text command on a cellular phone. Yet to my surprise this movie managed to keep a slightly better balance than its previous two predecessors that will grab hold of other audience members. Now I'm not saying it's the best, but there is some character development and shallow love stories that will make Dirty Dancing fans pine over that classic romanticism. This doesn't mean it's like a dance version of Twilight, no instead it's presented more as a Romeo and Juliet theme where the girl and guys families don't see eye to eye. The lovers decided to hide their identities from their respective elders and instead of killing each other with swords, use their moves to help express the feelings and fight the bad guys. Despite the nice presentation though, the story is predictable as ever and there really is no surprise about what is going to happen to whom. I won't tell you any details, but let's face it in a movie like this you can pretty much guess the ending with little effort.

Of course if you're like most fans of this movie you care less about the story and character development. Instead the focus might shift to other aspects like dancing, music, and yes eye candy for both guys and girls. Well this movie is definitely all those characteristics wrapped in a colorful, techno/rap wrapper with lots of flashing lights. Fans of the previous installments will be impressed with the dance numbers this installment has. Most of the dances have one of the stars leading a well choreographed mob in movements that would give a Michael Jackson music video a run for its money. However, what impresses me are some of the sick stunts, the extras throw out in between that add that extra edge to the performance. While some of these moves are rather silly, i.e. a few guys looking like they are going through electroshock therapy, there are a few flips that will make you think, "Hey he's part Jedi." The break dancing is quite good and when intertwined with the various dance styles in this movie, one can't help but be impressed with the work and talent of these people. However don't jump the gun and think this movie is just a bunch of flips and protest art rebel gestures, no there is some poetic skills involved as well. As the love story develops, there are various scenes that show off the more graceful side of dancing, i.e. ballerina moves that are elegant and beautiful. Those who like this artistic style will again be impressed with the fluidity of the actresses involved, especially Kathryn McCormick, who continues to show us she can dance.

However what is dance without music and Step Up Revolution once again picks a soundtrack worthy of their moves. I haven't found out if these remixes are original or picked up from another D.J., but regardless they have been selected to help provide not only the beat for the dances, but also the emotion. The moment Penelope opens up the trunk and hits play, you start to get pulled into the song and feel the emotions of the setting. Although many of the songs have aggression and rage to their tones, there are a few that are softer and more trance like. I warn you that if you don't like Techno, Rap, or a combination of the two, you will definitely hate the music. The tracks are uncensored and full of cursing, slang, and sometimes loud yelling, which may distract you from the art of the editing.

Finally if you are one who is going for staring at beautiful women or handsome men, well again you've picked the right movie. Unlike some other recent movies, Step Up Revolution does a nice job showing off the bodies of the stars and helps get people howling without stepping over the line. Most of these people can dance and are okay actors, but they were also chosen to rope in a wider array of audience members. For me I cannot lie that McCormick is very cute, did a decent acting job, and impressed me with her moves. Even Ryan Guzman and Misha Gabriel Hamilton did a nice job with their roles, and didn't just flex their muscles and look sad for the women, as many modern guy stars tend to do. Girls don't worry though as there are plenty of shirt off moments to make you happy, and guys well there are plenty of bikini clad women to make you drool.

Overall Step Up Revolution may be one of the better movies of this series. With awesome moves, fitting soundtrack, and decent acting, it's definitely refreshing for the audience. However it is still a dance movie with a lot of skewing towards dancing and less to story, so don't expect masterpiece. Here are the scores: Drama/Music/Romance: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 6.5

When I stepped into the theater to see Step Up Revolution, I expected cutting-edge dance. I got it and maybe better than I expected with robust routines blending 3-D performance and modern art to tell a story that moves from public display to public mission.

"The Mob" is a flash mob secretly doing percussive urban choreography at different times in Miami to publish the dance on YouTube and win $100K for the most hits. The opening sequence using vintage low-riders in a traffic jam is spectacular, a muscular routine using very physical dance and very physical automobiles for an enjoyable fusion of art and pop culture.

Look, this is not Flashdance or Dirty Dancing, and Emily (Kathryn McCormick) is not Jennifer Beals, nor is Sean (Ryan Guzman) Patrick Swayze (or Channing Tatum from the first installment), but they are attractive performers given simple dialogue but dynamic modern film dancing that uses creative camera angles and minimal CGI to tell a pleasant formulaic story. In other words, I was entertained by the dancing and found the screenplay clichéd.

Emily's dad, Mr. Anderson (Peter Gallagher, the only true actor in the lot), plans to build a giant complex right in the hood of the dancers, a place romanticized for the purposes of the story but in reality a poor wharf community. The Mob, along with Emily, fights to preserve the area using flash mob to tell their story to the city to stop the construction. The set pieces are uniformly exciting and executed with such energy as to evoke the passions of youth and protest.

The story and the dialogue are pedestrian, but that dancing is so magnetic that I might go back and see the first three films in the series and maybe Footloose and maybe even West Side story and Strictly Ballroom.

If for nothing else, Step Up Revolution keeps alive the romantic dance movie genre with some steps even Fred Astaire wouldn't recognize. Now that's revolution.