Step 2: The streets was Chu’s first directed feature film, and would mark his return to the franchise Enter 3D. And despite his later, grander musical work, it’s the Step Up franchise that contains some of my favorite Chu-directed musical sequences.
If you’ve seen one Step Up movie – or any dance movie in general, to be honest – you’re familiar with the plot. And neither Step 2: The streets nor Enter 3D the dial will move a lot; As the critical consensus (with a top score of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes for the third film) can attest, if you’ve seen one, you’ve probably seen them all. A dancer caught between two worlds, forced to conform but dreams of something they feel more deeply. Ultimately, they find the merging of two forms, and (gasp!) they win the competition/showcase/emotional battle they’ve been fighting. But that’s all to say: we’re not looking forward to the plot. We’re here for the dance, the grind, the title step up (on the street or otherwise).
And on this front, Chu delivers more than just results. His latest musical offering is big and flashy – examples of what movies can really do to adjust musical theater, where the energy of the stage is translated into the cinematic language. For Chu, this often means swirling cameras, quick cutsAnd ambitiously staged figures. On the other hand Step up 2 And 3 are more in line with older Hollywood dance sequence traditions: long takes, to better emphasize the skill and keep the flow going. All focused on beautiful footwork.
If his newer musicals have sequences that feel like music videos, then the Step Up offerings are the meat-and-potatoes showcases that allow you to truly appreciate the artistry. Although the narrative of dance films can be stiff, the story is bursting with passion in a final dance showdown or purely as a demonstration of commitment and personality are where they click into their groove (both halves remind you that we come here to see dancers perform, even if that also means acting).
Personally, I am most in favor of that Enter 3Dwith dance sequences driven by little bits of character, charm and more than a little impracticality. Whether it’s a Fred Astaire remixed one on a New York street take advantage of props, a sharp tangoor just another unreachable cinematic loft that provides a rehearsal spaceChu late 3D find its basis by completely loosening the structure of reality in those moments and finding something truer. As he keeps the camera’s gaze on the performance, we get to see something very special – and that’s before we even get to the final dance battle.
Step 2: The streets And Enter 3D are now streaming on Hulu.