Step Up: All In - Movie Review
Rating: 3 out of 5
Step Up movies are known for their trite, formulaic plots and eye-catching dance set-pieces, and this instalment in the series certainly won't disappoint the fans. What makes this one slightly more fun is the fact that the filmmakers remember not to take anything quite so seriously. The melodrama is undercut with sardonic humour, the gyrations of the plot are so obvious that the script doesn't even bother to mislead us, and the dance scenes are fantastically over the top.
After The Mob dance crew conquered Miami in Step Up 4, they moved to Los Angeles, but found fame rather fickle. When they lose another job to their rival Jasper (Stephen Stevo Jones), head of The Grim Knights, they decide to go back home. But Sean (Ryan Guzman) has nothing to return to, so opts to stay, even though it means working as a cleaner at a salsa studio. This helps him reconnect with Step Up veteran Moose (Adam Sevani), and together they concoct a plan to form a new crew and enter the reality TV competition The Vortex, hosted by the preening Alexxa (Izabella Miko). With Moose's old pal Andie (Step Up 2's Brianna Evigan) on board, they bring together an appropriately eclectic team, which they name Lmntrix. And they head to Las Vegas for the big show.
It hardly needs to be said that Lmntrix are on a collision course to meet both The Mob and The Grim Knights in the final rounds. So with no suspense in the plot we can sit back and enjoy the dancing. And the choreographers have taken the Vegas theme to heart, designing routines that are more focussed on subtle power moves than street intensity. So each successive routine looks like another themed Cirque du Soleil number, building to a climax that will boggle the mind. Fortunately, all of this is directed with a light touch by choreographer Trish Sie, so it's easy to sit back and laugh with the cast rather than at them for a change.
Oddly, Guzman and Evigan are somewhat lacklustre as the selfish jerk Sean and prickly hothead Andie, generating no romantic chemistry at all while only barely registering in the dance routines. But at least they look great on the screen. The flashier roles and moves belong to the supporting cast, each of whom has just a couple of characteristics but can move in ways that seem inhuman. Sevani is the heart of the film, even though his romance-based subplot is rather thankless. And David Shreibman very nearly steals the show as the slithery cha-cha teacher with some unexpected street moves.
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Facts and Figures
Year: 2014
Genre: Dramas
Run time: 101 mins
In Theaters: Friday 8th August 2014
Box Office Worldwide: $86.2M
Production compaines: Summit Entertainment, LLC, Lionsgate
Reviews
Contactmusic.com: 3 / 5
Cast & Crew
Director: Trish Sie
Producer: Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot
Screenwriter: John Swetnam
Starring: Ryan Guzman as Sean, Briana Evigan as Andie, Stephen Boss as Jason, Misha Gabriel as Eddy, Izabella Miko as Alexa, Alyson Stoner as Camille, Adam G. Sevani as Moose, Chadd Smith as Vladd, Christopher Scott as Hair, Chaton Anderson as Sophie, Mari Koda as Jenny Kido, Stephen Stevo Jones as Jasper, David Shreibman as Chad, Luis Rosado as Monster, Facundo Lombard as Marcos Santiago, Martín Lombard as Martin Santiago, Parris Goebel as Violet, Cyrus Spencer as Gauge, Karin Konoval as Ana, Frank Crudele as Boris, Jay Brazeau as Mr. McGowan, Dzajna 'Jaja' Vanková as Robot Girl, Jenny Dailey as Grim Knight's Hot Twin #1, Jayme Rae Dailey as Grim Knight's Hot Twin #2, Elizabeth Weinstein as Casting Agent, Viv Leacock as Bartender (Club), Leah Christ as Model #1, Fiona Vroom as Assistant Stylist, Laura Soltis as Stylist, Anthony Joseph as Bellman #2, Yoshiharu Hashimoto as Kido's Uncle, Tae Helgeth as Kid's Aunt, Fulvio Cecere as Uncle (Pizza Place), Allie Meixner as Dancing Bachelorette, Peter Newman as Interviewer, Patricia Mayen-Salazar as Maid, Graeme Duffy as Ad Agency Executive #1, Jill Morrison as Ad Agency Executive #2, Christie Laing as Hotel Executive, Aason Nadjiwan as Voodoo Dancer, Hayden Fong as Voodoo Dancer, Mackenzie Green as Voodoo Dancer, Chelsee Albo as Fire Dancer, Carly Louth as Fire Dancer, Marc Inniss as MOB Dancer, Nolan Padilla as MOB Dancer, Phillip Chbeeb as MOB Dancer, Bianca Brewton as MOB Dancer, Tony Bellissimo as MOB Dancer, Josue Anthony as MOB Dancer, Brandy Lamkin as MOB Dancer, Brittny Sugarman as MOB Dancer, Celestina Aladekoba as Celestina, Brandon Shaw as Grim Knight Dancer, Emilio Dosal as Grim Knight Dancer, Comfort Fedoke as Grim Knight Dancer, Kim Marko Germar as Grim Knight Dancer, Raymond Alexander Cham Jr. as Grim Knight Dancer, Nicholas Stewart as Grim Knight Dancer, Gui DaSilva-Greene as Grim Knight Dancer, Jeffrey 'Machine' McCann as Grim Knight Dancer, Jesse 'Casper' Brown as Grim Knight Dancer, Janick Arseneau as Divine Intention Dancer, Julie Dombrowski as Divine Intention Dancer, Sarah Katie Holmes as Divine Intention Dancer, Erika Kurata-Prevost as Divine Intention Dancer, Marina Bastarache as Divine Intention Dancer, Edith Collin-Marcoux as Divine Intention Dancer, Adrienne Chan as Divine Intention Dancer, Tiger Kirchharz as Sweet Beaches Dancer, Lorella Boccia as Sweet Beaches Dancer, Kenny Mugisha as Sweet Beaches Dancer, Brian Yang as Sweet Beaches Dancer, Teya Wild as Sweet Beaches Dancer, Lorena Liebman as Blueprint Dancer, Nicolas Begin as Blueprint Dancer, Derek Rice as Blueprint Dancer, Ian Arcudi as Blueprint Dancer, Saxon Fraser as Blueprint Dancer, Handy Yacinthe as Blueprint Dancer, Mecdy Jean-Pierre as Blueprint Dancer, Vincent Poirier as Blueprint Dancer, Axelle Munezero as Blueprint Dancer, Martine Bruneau as Blueprint Dancer, Marc Antoine Millette as Petronas Dancer, Stephane Charbonneau as Petronas Dancer, Olivier Blais as Petronas Dancer, Max Paradis as Petronas Dancer, Eric Ardila Quinonez as Petronas Dancer, Eric Martel as Tech-Stylz Dancer, Mathieu Dumoulin as Tech-Stylz Dancer, Daniel Morrison as Tech-Stylz Dancer, Mark Siller as Tech-Stylz Dancer, Dean Placzek as Tech-Stylz Dancer, Lawrence Devera as Poreotics Dancer, Can Nguyen as Poreotics Dancer, Charles Nguyen as Poreotics Dancer, Chad Mayate as Poreotics Dancer, Justin Valles as Poreotics Dancer
Also starring: Adam Sevani, Adam Shankman, Jennifer Gibgot