Step Up 2 The Streets

Was there some loud outcry from the movie community to show producers that we needed a sequel to Step Up? There couldn’t possibly be another reason why we needed another awful, clichéd, horrendous, and miserable pile of junk like this. This is appalling excuse for film.

Step Up 2 tries way too hard to relate to its audience. The “rough life” storyline of its lead character Andie is unbearably clichéd and uninteresting. There’s not an ounce of originality in it. The characters themselves are likewise either caricatures or culled from a number of other films. Unsurprisingly, the plot doesn’t deviate much from this trend either.

The scripting, TV drama like romance, and main story might as well have been lifted from a porno. In fact, that’s sort of like what Step Up 2 is: a low rent porno only dance scenes take the place of sex. The scriptwriters find a ludicrous amount of ways to have the characters end up in dance offs or competitions (and to get as many product placements as possible on screen).

Painful dialogue is hokey and unbelievable. Will Kemp could have provided audiences not only with some of the most ridiculous dialogue ever written, but his delivery makes it even worse. Believing in the characters after they commit multiple crimes, and supposedly just letting it all go because they dance is asking too much.

To its credit, Step Up 2 does offer some impressive dance numbers. The cast either looks incredible or ridiculous as they perform their moves. First-time director John Chu handles the material properly, delivering the right camera angles and pacing.

Step Up 2 is an awful, awful movie. This is the type of schlock that should never be greenlit, yet it just keeps rolling out and for some baffling reason, people keep going back. Step Up 2 is pure unfiltered crap. [xrr rating=0/5 label=Movie]

If you’re in the mood to torture yourself, at least you can view it in a fantastic HD transfer. Aside from some overly white contrast that runs hot (a constant problem), this is flawless video. Razor sharp and heavily detailed, ever frame of film is a showcase for your TV. Black levels are bold and crisp. There are no instances of noise or artifacting. [xrr rating=4/5 label=Video]

As expected with its hip hop-loaded soundtrack, bass can be overwhelming for most of the film. The soundtrack will give any audio system a workout… at least in the front channels. This DTS-HD mix is dead in the rear channels, and it has plenty of chances to use them. The final scene in the rain should be amazing, and instead, it’s front loaded. [xrr rating=2/5 label=Audio]

Over 20 minutes of deleted scenes with an optional commentary from John Chu begin the extras. The entire movie should be deleted, but this isn’t what made the final cut. A stack of music videos feature many of the acts from the film. Through Fresh Eyes is actually a fun look at what Chu went through during his first feature film shoot. Outlaws of Hip Hop is a short piece on the dancers, and brief two minute unfunny prank done by the crew marks the final extra. [xrr rating=2/5 label=Extras]