Step Up Revolution

When I first saw the trailer of "Step Up Revolution", I felt it would be a total fluff piece that would go nowhere, however after seeing the film, I realize that I could have missed the opportunity to see an extremely entertaining, heartfelt film if I had decided to skip this viewing.

The Mob sets the dancing against the vibrant backdrop of Miami. Emily (Kathryn McCormick) arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer and after meeting Sean (Ryan Guzman), they soon fall in love. Sean and Eddy (Misha Gabriel), friends from boyhood, lead a dance crew in elaborate, intricately choreographed, cutting-edge flash mobs, called "The Mob". When a wealthy businessman, Bill Anderson (Peter Gallagher) threatens to develop The Mob's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people, Emily must work together with Sean and The Mob to turn their performance art into protest art, and the risk of losing their dreams to fight for a better cause.

Others to round out the cast are Stephen 'tWitch' Boss as Jason, Cleopatra Coleman as Penelope, Michael 'Xeno' Langebeck as Mercury, Chadd Smith as Vladd, Megan Boone as Claire, Sean's sister, Tommy Dewey as Trip, Sean's boss, and Dominique Bell as Sarah, Sean's niece.

This was slickly directed by virtual newcomer to theatrical films, Scott Speer ("The LXD 2: Secrets of the Ra" '11). This guy should receive future work, considering his lack of experience. It was written by Amanda Brody which was based on characters created by Duane Adler. Although it was not an Academy Award written piece, it still exuded a heartfelt quality that seemed genuine.

The real star of this film was clearly choreographer, Jamal Sims ("Step Up" '06, "Step Up 2: The Streets" '08, "Soul Men" '08, "17 Again" '09, "Hannah Montana: The Movie" '09, "Year One" '09, "Step Up 3D" '10, "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son" '11, "Footloose" '11, "Jack and Jill" '11). The dance sequences have got to be some of the best I've seen in films today. The way the music, the stunts, and staging was integrated was pure genius. As you can see by this man's resume, he certainly knows how to work with his dancers/actors to get the maximum effect. Wow! And all presented in 3D.

If someone had told me that I would really enjoy this film before I walked into the theater, I would've said they were nuts, just from the trailer, which did not sell this flick. However, the way the music and dance numbers were integrated within the script made this project work. Do we see a "Step Up 5" in the works?

Out of 4 stars: 3.5                    Rated: PG-13                      98min.


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