step up 2

to save all the movie snobs out there from groaning too much, i'll keep this review short. however, i'd like to say UP FRONT that i thought this movie was GREAT. and if chiara and i could see the 10:15PM show after my super long day running on 7 hours of sleep and her super long day after an all-nighter and a 1-hour nap, then this movie was SUPER GREAT. aight? aight.

i'll be honest and say that i saw step up 1 by myself b/c 1) i like to see movies by myself and 2) i don't want to have to drag people to see something that i know they don't really want to see. and so i saw it on my own and LOVED it. channing tatum is HOTNESS personified (albeit w/a bit of a 'duh' expression). the love story was appropriately cheesy. and the chemistry b/w him and jenna dewan was totally evident on-screen. but most importantly, the dancing was AMAZING. an awesome fusion of ballet and modern w/a hip-hop twist. it's rare to be able to see that kind of combination of dance forms live (i mean, what dance company promotes itself that way? if you're in the know, tell me!!), so it was amazing to see it coming across the big screen.

step up 2 is actually a pretty good follow-up to step up 1, though less interested in combining dance forms and more focused on showcasing modern street moves. the opening scene on the subway was absolutely incredible b/c it was totally unexpected and atypical. and gave you just a snippet of what was to come in terms of the dancing. the plot line was similarly cheesy, though the male/female roles were reversed. (just to keep you on your feet, right?) actually, the female lead bore a faint resemblance to the female lead in step up 1. (or perhaps they were just both brunettes?) but the male lead in step up 2 was an OC pretty boy w/blond highlights and a deer-in-headlights expression. regardless, he still struck me as slightly better-looking than channing tatum. (maybe he was a little less broad?) at any rate, the movie was good in that there wasn't a ton of making out going on. b/c obviously the point was to show off the DANCING.

which was...AMAZING. and the idea that dance could bring together a bunch of random people, both in the context of the MSA crew and the streets competition, was pretty inspirational. to be honest, this was a fairly kid-friendly movie, especially for parents who want to take their kids to see something that's not dr. seuss (though i heard 'horton hears a who!' is pretty darn cute). yes yes, it's bizarre for me to say all this, but i'm just making a point. and particularly in this day and age, when there are so many stupid reality shows about dancing and dancers (and their looks, egos, and drama), something like this is totally refreshing and focused on what dance can do for conveying a message with depth and meaning.

at this point, i'll step down from my little soapbox to say again that the dancing was...AMAZING. from the opening scene to the partner dance at the party to the face-off at the end. while the rain coming down at the end was a little bit distracting at first, it totally did the trick in terms of dramatic effect. you couldn't have asked for tighter choreography. i mean, if sheba and samahang ever came close to this, i'd never leave school. (but alas, they don't.) it's this level of dance that makes you want to get up and take dance lessons -- or go clubbing.

needless to say, now i want another dance marathon. *sigh*

http://www.myspace.com/stepupmovie