HOLLYWOOD—When the first installment of the “Step Up†franchise arrived in 2006, it was a box-office and critical smash. That flick starred Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. Two years later, “Step Up 2: The Streets†arrived on the scene. It didn’t have the spark and fire the first movie had, but it still kept movie audiences intrigued. Fast forward six years later and we have “Step Up: All In†the fifth installment in the franchise.
The dance flick is presented to the audience in eye-popping 3D just like the past two films in the franchise. I like to think of this movie as the final hoorah, but it misses the mark slightly in my opinion. Fan favorites Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum are nowhere to be found here. The dance crew is led by Sean (Ryan Guzman) and Andie (Briana Evigan) as they compete for the dance battle of all dance battles in Las Vegas.
Yep, the glitz and glamour of Vegas brings a heightened intensity to the movie in my opinion. What works effortlessly for the picture is its choreography. The dance moves are sweet, over-the-top, epic and amazing to watch on the big screen. Unfortunately, the plot is lackluster in this installment. That charm, chemistry and invigorating character development in the first and second films has all, but disappeared in recent sequels.
Director Trish Sie does her best work behind the camera crafting the intricate dance sequences; unfortunately, she didn’t have a script worthy of delivering interesting characters or a narrative that grabs the audience’s attention. If dancing is your cup of tea, you’ll enjoy the movie, if you’re looking for a dance flick with compelling characters and a plot “Step Up: All In†will leave you darting from the dance floor.
