Step Up Revolution

3/4

Starring: Ryan Guzman, Kathryn McCormick, Misha Gabriel, Peter Gallagher

Rated PG-13 for Some Suggestive Dancing and Language

The 80's and 90's were filled with movies like "Step Up Revolution:" formula pictures designed to showcase what the film was really about, be it dancing, sports or spelling bees.  Granted, none of the characters are three dimensional and there are no performances crying out for Oscar attention, but its a refreshing change of pace from sequels, reboots and superheroes.

Sean (Guzman) and his best friend Eddy (Gabriel) are members of The Mob, a group of dancers who appear suddenly and put on elaborate dance routines.  Their goal is to be the creators of the first video to get ten thousand hits, which will earn them a cool hundred grand.  Sean meets Emily (McCormick), an aspiring dancer, at a party and she wants in.  Reluctantly, Sean and Eddy agree.  But when a business mogul named Anderson (Gallagher) decides to make a resort in the area that Sean and his friends live, they decide to use their dancing as a form of protest.

I haven't seen the first three "Step Up" movies, but it doesn't matter.  This is a stand alone movie.  It's also a lot of fun.  No, it's not as good as it could be or as good as I imagined, but it is entertaining.  The plot is occasionally contrived and the film is too long, but that's to be expected.  The flaws do not outweigh the good elements.

The performances are good, but not great.  Ryan Guzman, making his debut, is great as Sean.  This is the nice kid on the block, and Guzman has screen presence and doesn't stumble over his dialogue.  If he plays his cards right, he can go far.  "So You Think You Can Dance" contestant Kathryn McCormick is less impressive, but she makes Emily into someone we care about.  Misha Gabriel is good as the hot-headed Eddy and Peter Gallagher is a surprisingly sympathetic villain.  I'm not sure if that's what the filmmakers intended, but it works.

The film was directed by Scott Speer, a music video veteran who also directed a few episodes of the TV flop "League of Extraordinary Dancers."  Speer's roots are obvious.  Lots of quick cuts and extravagant choreography.  He shows little comfort in the character building scenes, and they run on too long.

Could this movie have been better?  Absolutely.  The acting and writing have room for improvement and some of the dance scenes aren't as toe-tapping and adrenaline producing as they could be.  But there is a lot of good stuff here.  Guzman proves to be a young actor to watch, and the final dance scene, which has to take up almost twenty minutes of screen time, is worth the price of admission in and of itself.

For lovers of musicals (although there is no singing in this movie) and great dancing, this movie is not to be missed.

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