Schematic but enjoyable feel-good movie

Rating: 7/10 (31 October 2010)

Step up, plays it entirely by the book which may seem safe for a film maker, but ironically can be equally risky, in the worst case scenario your film could look recycled.
This dance concerns about a break dancing street kid (Tyler) who is forced to do a couple hundred community service hours for an art school which he was caught breaking into. The first thing that gets his attention when he starts doing his time, is a girl in the dance hall, whose dance partner has just broken his foot. Tyler volunteers to replace him, Nora is not surprisingly doubtful, but to her surprise Tyler is quite good, but how committed will he be to this, when it means leaving his old life/friends behind?
Step Up does it better than most, but not as good as the best. It does it's best to treat the characters as human beings, not just bodies to dance. Jenna Dewan and Channting Tutum are a decent screen couple not so much because the are cute but because they feel like real people. It These are two kids who were NOT meant for each other, they don't look it and they don't act it, but when they dance they appear flawless.
Step Up's problems are screenplay related. It is never unpredictable, and for that matter, it's not super believable either. This is not a film for an intelligent audience, it is a feel good movie, no more no less, but it's catchy, never too shallow, and It's enjoyable