DVD--Step Up 3

or: Ahhhh...the wonders of 3D on a laptop screen.

One word to sum it up: Dancey.

People my age, especially around these parts of the Earth, are really into these dancing movies. I suspect it's because it doesn't require much thinking and it's all about the 'gangsta' music and break dancing. Step Up 3 is no exception to that rule. However, it offers more spectacular dancing because it was made in 3D, which isn't so spectacular on a laptop screen where I had slushy thrown at my screen. The dancing is pretty much the only thing this movie has going for it, but the subpar acting and overly cliched story are made somehow bearable.

A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam G. Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

The trilogy of dancing films have grown so far apart that it has become apparent that these films are being made as money spinners and light entertainment for those who can't be bothered watching an actual film. They're basically a showcase of dancing talent and people doing some pretty spectacular moves that we would never see randomly in the real world. Neither of the sequels have anything on the first one, which had more story than dancing, but this third installment proves to be pretty good. The story is pretty slight, but then again, some of the themes interwoven into this movie are inspiring; not only for dancers, but for film makers too. Luke's little documentary making proves that there is always a way to start, and I guess if he was real then he might have a future in film making.

One of the problems with Step Up 3, however, is the way it tries to be a musical. I mean, no one really runs around jumping off stuff in the name of dancing. Or starts dancing to the tune of an ice cream truck, for that matter. It just makes this movie so cheesy, and unfortunately very strange to watch. I don't expect huge doses of realism in this type of movie, but those scenes seem so out of place. The acting in this film could have been better, but it is understandably hard to find people who are that good at dancing and are also good at acting. The dialogue, too, isn't too great, but who cares? The dancing is bloody amazing, and that somehow makes up for most of the films flaws.


THE VERDICT: Not thought provoking or fulfulling in any way, but provides light entertainment and a visual spectacular for the younger generation.

6/10

42nd Street

Date: 23/07/10. Still recovering from Inception.

I watched 42nd Street probably two years ago, and it has been gathering dust in my DVD collection ever since. I got it during my obsession with older films. But this film seems different the second time 'round, probably because I wasn't great at watching movies in my younger days...or rating them.

A young woman trying to become an actress, Peggy Sawyer (Ruby Keeler), auditions to be a chorus girl in a major travelling production. She gets into the show, and is introduced to a world of exhaustion and rehearsals that never seem to end. Meanwhile, the shows star, Dorothy Brock (Bebe Daniels) breaks her ankle the night before the show starts, and Sawyer gets forced into the lead role. But can she do it on such short notice.

I still dearly love 42nd Street, but I must admit, I could see a lot of flaws in this film. It's not your typical run-of-the-mill musical which came out during the depths of the Depression to cheer everyone up, which is a good thing. But the films best asset: the amazing dance numbers choreographed by Busby Berkeley, are also one of it's biggest problems. Those are the highlights, and the rest of the film falls quite flat. Also, if you were actually watching the stage show, those dances would have sucked because you wouldn't have been able to see the formations going on...they required a birds eye view shot to see it. However, it entertainingly squanders through it's short running time with a stand out performance from Ginger Rogers. It is a great example of how much better musicals were back in those days, compared to now.

A nice musical, albeit flawed, but charmingly entertaining.

7/10

Fame (1980)

80's movies have never really been a hit with me. They're all the same, especially the ones based on a teenagers life. Like Dirty Dancing (not particularly a special movie). So is Fame (1980) the exception? Well, it certainly isn't the rule.
Fame is a story about a few teenagers who go to an elite Performing Arts school in New York to follow their dream, whether it be acting, dancing or singing. As always, there are ups and downs and it's not all easy, and while these students are focusing hard at school they are also focusing on building their lives so they can become adults. Each person is blessed with talent, and put their all into the sector they have decided to study. All this with 5 classes a day and a hot lunch.
Unfortunately, Fame has suffered the remake treatment when that really isn't necessary. This version is fine, it completely makes the 80's look like not such a bad decade after all. The ensemble cast makes for easy viewing, with stand-out performances from Irene Cara, Maureen Teefy, Gene Anthony Ray and Paul McCrane. It's not clear whether these students reach Fame, but it's obvious that they're well on their way. Fame is a movie to treasure, just forget about the new version.
8/10

Dirty Dancing

There's something about 80's movies which just don't sit well with me. In fact, I think the 80is is the one decade which I hate the most. Maybe it was the hideous leggings, which have made a come-back. Dirty Dancing (1988) is one of those movies which my mum loves and used to watch all the time when I was younger. I was never overly keen on it, and now I think it's good, but not inspiring or amazing.
You've probably seen it, so you will know the storyline. Baby (Jennifer Grey) is a teenager who goes on vacation with her family and meets rebel Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Upon meeting him, she is introduced to an outside world full of being rebellious and dancing in a way that wasn't perceived to be acceptable in the 1960's. As most romantic films do, Baby falls in love with Johnny, against what her parents want for her.
Patrick Swayze sadly died last year, and I think it's fair to say that world lost a talented triple threat. However, Dirty Dancing is a classic, and one of those films which everyone will see at some point in their life. While it's not fantastic, it is a runaway hit which is making a comeback...people my age are falling in love with it. Which is always good.
8/10

26th October 2009

I watched Flashdance not so long ago, and I thought it was quite good. Then I just watched Make it Happen (2008) and I realized something, all dancing movies these days are exactly the same. What is up with that? Flashdance, Make it Happen, Step Up...they all have the same story, a little nobody from the wrong side of the tracks tries to make it big in an elite school of Dance. What ever happened to the dance movies that had heaps of creative dances, and didn't all share the same storylines? Like Singin In the Rain. So Make It Happen stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (man her name sounds posh), who I last saw in Death Proof, and I thought she was fantastic. She has a lot of talent which we saw in this movie, but there was not enough material for her to show off that talent. The rest of the cast included Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts, which was a bit of a surprise. As for the dancing, I thought it was good, but since seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button I would rather be watching beautiful ballet than burlesque hip hop. However, the movie is not all that bad, it's an easy popcorn flick to watch, mainly aimed at chicks. But it is so predictable, so if you like to feel that you are a psychic, then this film is for you!
5/10