When she is given an opportunity to attend the Maryland School of the Arts, she finds her interests diverging from those of her former crew and, when she misses one too many practices, the leader of the 401, Tuck (Black Thomas), kicks her out. Step Up 2 begins by introducing us to Andie (Evigan), a member of a tough street dance gang named the 401. It's also reminiscent of Patrick Swayze's appearance in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, another dance-themed "sequel" that had no non-marketing reason to appropriate the title of its predecessor. It also serves to remind us that he, like the stars of this movie, is a lot better dancer than actor. To strengthen the weak link between the two, Channing Tatum, the star of the original, shows up for an out-of-place cameo designed to make us believe that the world of Step Up 2 is the same one as that of Step Up.
This has something to do with the fact that they're better dancers than actors but even more to do with the pathetic twaddle that screenwriters Toni Ann Johnson and Karen Barna call dialogue.Īlthough the movie poses as a sequel to Step Up, Step Up 2 has little to do with its predecessor except the setting of a dance academy. It's odd, however, that two who have such great chemistry when dancing have none when not moving and grinding. Her co-star, Robert Hoffman, is no slouch in that department, either.
Director Jon Chu provides enough full body shots with her face in view that there's little doubt those are her moves. And, as best I can tell, no body double is involved. Not only is she fit and attractive (with or without the downpour that douses her in the final dance competition) but she can dance. On some level, I have to admit that Briana Evigan is almost reason enough to recommend this film on the basis of what she brings to the project. But those who venture into theaters for Step Up 2 probably won't care about those things. In fact, all this is almost enough to make one forget about the cardboard characters, trite storyline, feeble romance, and embarrassing sermonizing about everyone getting along together. That is to say, there are lots of energetic dance moves, throbbing music that uses every channel of the theater's digital sound system, and a good looking girl who looks even sexier slicked down by water.
With Step Up 2 the Streets, the supposed-but-not-really sequel to 2006's sleeper Step Up, you get what you pay for.