For the love of dance

The dance sequences in Step Up (3D) are varied and
energetic and the players exude grace and class
 but there is hardly any story to hang on to

The zest and exuberance of the film is sure to catch up with dance aficionados

THE trouble with the sequels is that they try to cash in on the name of the first film but rarely come up to it. And so it is with the third in the US street dance series titled Step Up, which has 3D technology to boost it.

This version has Luke (Rick Malambri) as a multi-tasker, mentor, trainer and aspiring filmmaker all rolled in one. He may well claim to be a teenage heartthrob but his acting talents are unduly limited. Luke and his talented "pirates"— street dancers of various ethnicities are all holed up in a Manhattan warehouse loft.

Moose (Adam G. Sevanti) from Step Up 2 the Streets and Camille from Step Up are inseparable friends captures Luke’s attention as he dances like a pro. Then there is also Clubber Natalie (Sharni Wilson), another Luke protégé. 

The dance sequences are varied and energetic and the players exude grace and class but there is hardly any story to hang on to and director Jon M. Chu fails to make a meal of the narrative, which moves by fits and starts. True, those in the thick of dance will empathise with the zest and exuberance but the acting is pretty sub-standard.

The number set to the remix of Fred Astaire’s I Won’t Dance blaring from a loudspeaker atop an ice-cream truck is easily the most memorable of the dances but it only contrasts the difference with the other also-rans. 

Seeing two of Astaire’s classics — Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Silk Stockings with Cyd Charisse — on Turner Classic Movies had an adverse effect on this film. Hollywood’s regurgitating of old films could also be seen with the Silk Stockings dance being further developed in Robert Wise’s West Side Story’s subway dance. But in the absence of musicals these days, Step Up (3D) may be worth a visit. For dance aficionados especially.

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