Review: 'Step Up Revolution' only for die-hard dance fans

Film: Step Up Revolution
Director: Scott Peer
Cast: Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Cleopatra Coleman, Misha Gabriel Hamilton
Rating: ***

The idea of street dance as an art form really comes alive in Step Up Revolution. Fourth in the Step Up series, this one really stands out over the other 3 as far as dance is concerned. The Step Up series truly began with Step Up 2: The Streets, where the final dance made you want to sign up for hip-hop lessons.

The screenplay by Amanda Brody is the same old formula, bringing absolutely nothing new to the table; it’s the choreography and the dancers that will blow your mind away. The framework is simple, bordering on cheesy, and the film’s success will be credited mostly, if not entirely, to Jamal Sims (the choreographer).

Though there is not much of a story, here's what it is all about...
Place- Miami. Sean (Guzman) a waiter by day and street dancer by night is part of a crew called the “The Mob”, who organise elaborate dance missions and post the video on their YouTube channel in the hopes of winning one million dollars in a contest. Enter Emily (Kathryn McCormick) who steals Sean’s heart by being the awesome dancer she is. Romance blooms, but wait, Emily’s industrialist father does not approve of her relationship and on top of it all, he is out to demolish the neighbourhood that is home to Sean and the crew. One thing leads to another and Emily joins forces with 'The Mob' to work against her father (in secret though) and help the crew make a statement using dance.

The plot is typical and the dialogues have been written as if the audience is dumb and needs every emotional undercurrent spelled out for them. But nobody buys tickets to a Step Up film expecting to see good acting or heart-moving performances anyway! They get in to see some great moves and Step Up Revolution holds up that end of the bargain. Sims mixes various genres of dance such as hip-hop, ballet, contemporary etc. and gives the film some very exquisite sequences. The choreography is much more elaborate than in any of the previous films, uses a lot more props and involves a lot more dancers.

McCormick of So You Think That You Can Dance fame is strictly average as far as acting is concerned, but is fabulous where it counts and makes for a strong female dancer lead, something the series had been missing till now. Guzman proves to be a solid partner for McCormick and he looks good doing it too. But the best hip hopper, in this viewer’s opinion, remains Twitch (also from So You Think That You Can Dance), who is a lot more confident about his talent in this film as compared to Step Up 3.

This flick is for die-hard fans of dance only. Don’t go expecting anything else and you will not be disappointed.