Step Up Revolution (2012) Reviews

• Dancing for a cause

  blogurious2012-07-26

  Strength of will and right attitude are the main ingredients for getting what you want. It is not always about being in the right place at the right time. But also making sure those two will meet you half way. "Step Up Revolution" has for once broken the stigma created by movies where every teenage- dancing character has one and only thing in their minds: fame and fortune. This time they go a bit deeper in search of something more than self assurance or rebel behaviour, trying to bring justice to their people instead of thinking the world revolves around them. The music is not so catchy but the well choreographed flash-mob style performances are quite interesting. It's a good entertainment for dance lovers or anyone in the mood for a good time.

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• Step into dynamic dancing and anemic story.

  jdesando2012-07-29

  When I stepped into the theater to see Step Up Revolution, I expected cutting-edge dance. I got it and maybe better than I expected with robust routines blending 3-D performance and modern art to tell a story that moves from public display to public mission. "The Mob" is a flash mob secretly doing percussive urban choreography at different times in Miami to publish the dance on YouTube and win $100K for the most hits. The opening sequence using vintage low-riders in a traffic jam is spectacular, a muscular routine using very physical dance and very physical automobiles for an enjoyable fusion of art and pop culture. Look, this is not Flashdance or Dirty Dancing, and Emily (Kathryn McCormick) is not Jennifer Beals, nor is Sean (Ryan Guzman) Patrick Swayze (or Channing Tatum from the first installment), but they are attractive performers given simple dialogue but dynamic modern film dancing that uses creative camera angles and minimal CGI to tell a pleasant formulaic story. In other words, I was entertained by the dancing and found the screenplay clichéd. Emily's dad, Mr. Anderson (Peter Gallagher, the only true actor in the lot), plans to build a giant complex right in the hood of the dancers, a place romanticized for the purposes of the story but in reality a poor wharf community. The Mob, along with Emily, fights to preserve the area using flash mob to tell their story to the city to stop the construction. The set pieces are uniformly exciting and executed with such energy as to evoke the passions of youth and protest. The story and the dialogue are pedestrian, but that dancing is so magnetic that I might go back and see the first three films in the series and maybe Footloose and maybe even West Side story and Strictly Ballroom. If for nothing else, Step Up Revolution keeps alive the romantic dance movie genre with some steps even Fred Astaire wouldn't recognize. Now that's revolution.

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• Incredible dancing, terrible movie

  kgmarra2012-07-30

  Each new installment of the "Step Up" franchise is a step down from the last. "Step Up Revolution" stars Kathryn McCormick ("So You Think You Can Dance") and Ryan Guzman. The story is about a group of dancers called The Mob, which performs flash mobs all over the city of Miami. In order to win a YouTube contest with a grand prize, each of their performances are filmed and put online to get the most views that they possibly can receive. Sean (Guzman) first meets Emily (McCormick) at a party and she eventually joins The Mob. However, they soon find out that some successful businessman is planning to tear down The Mob members' neighborhood. This businessman just happens to be Emily's father. Didn't see that one coming… The rest of the movie involves The Mob using their talents to protest and win their neighborhood back, while Emily is conflicted between her father and her new crew. My expectations were pretty low going in, but somehow this movie is even worse than I had expected. Yes, the dancing is incredible and the choreography is quite inventive, but it doesn't make up for the awful acting and overly familiar story. Kathryn McCormick and Ryan Guzman had no chemistry, nor do they have much of an acting background. The plot is extremely predictable and the script is as cheesy as it gets. The only enjoyable scenes are those that involve dancing. The rest is tough to sit through. There are a few cameos in an attempt to somehow connect the fourth "Step Up" to the previous two, which was a nice surprise. If you loved "Step Up 2: The Streets" and "Step Up 3D", I'm sure you'll love this one too. It's incomparable to the first "Step Up", which is less of a 'dance movie' and more of a movie that includes dance within it. I give "Step Up Revolution" a 4 out of 10. If it weren't for the amazing dancing, I'd give it a 1.

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• There's no reason you won't enjoy this one!

  jayteerth2012-08-03

  Step Up Revolution is a must watch if you are street dancing fan. Dancing gets just better and political here! Tight moves, fancy footwork, blasting beats, spectacular group numbers n backdrop of glitzy Miami... There's no reason you won't enjoy this one. Oh yeah, someone knows how to take full advantage of 3D, from the opening scene to the end credits. Kudos to "The Mob" n entire crew. Must mention, the magic man in the background is our own Shaamak Davar. Overall, I would call it a triumph of sheer spectacle! Yes, my review doesn't go with the critics because what critics don't understand is, they don't make these things to win awards, they make them so we can have fun watching!

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• More flat than anything else, unfortunately.

  rustystrings-935-9496382012-08-17

  After having attended a couple of the early Step Up movies I gave this one a shot to see if it might have evolved. The reality of it is: It hasn't evolved! Characters - especially the main ones - are bland and unbelievable - literally. The storyline couldn't be any more ordinary. Music wise the producers tried to incorporate Dub Step as the main music style, which didn't match the theme, nor the story. The dance action whatsoever did accommodate the music, but missed the overall messaging purpose of "The Mob" by miles. Cheesy, non erotic. That sounds all pretty negative. So I am guessing the movie addresses a very young audience. Shame.

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