I’m not ashamed to admit it, ok, a little ashamed but I’ll say it anyway. Step Up 3D was one of my favorite movies of 2010 and definitely the best 3D Movie that I’ve seen all year. I’ve always liked the Step Up franchise for what it was. No it’s not cinema at its best, but they were always fun movies and I’m a sucker for most films about the creative process no matter how clichéd they may be. So in that respect this movie is in my wheelhouse but 3D? I couldn’t think of a more useless application (at least until Jackass 3D came out), but the minute they showed a gorgeous shot of Times Square in 3D I was hooked.
Now the Movie is on Blu-ray without the 3D gimmick and you know what? It works better for me. I’m not going to go into plot details, as it doesn’t really matter. A movie like Step Up 3 is about the dancing, not the inane plot, the thing you have to ask yourself, “Is the dancing good?” The first couple of dance sequences like the opening battle with Moose (Adam Sevani), a ridiculous bathroom battle sequence, and the 1st competition battle were all pretty bad. It’s even worse when you watch it without the 3D. There were moments in Moose’s opening battle that were pretty amazing to watch but the entire set up just made no sense. I mean whenever I go to NY people always just randomly break out into dance battles. How does one “win” an spontaneous dance battle anyway?
The 2nd round of their big competition was absolutely amazing. Worth the price of admission alone, this is the scene that should turn Adam into a star, he’s just amazing in it and the fact that they used the thumping Hip Hop version of Frankie Valli’s Beggin didn’t hurt either. Later there’s a great moment where he gets to be Gene Kelly (without the rain) and I loved the little speech he gives at the end about the power of Dancing. It was delivered in a nice low-key way.
Step Up 3D doesn’t set the world on fire and it’s certainly not a genre defining movie, so if you don’t like these types of films, this isn’t going to change your mind. For the rest of us, it’s a fun ride, with a thumping soundtrack and really is a nice showcase for 3D.
Picture and Audio
I keep saying this, but I’m almost ready to stop grading the Picture and Audio Quality of Blu-ray releases as there are but so many different way I can tell you that a Blu-ray picture is pristine, sharp, and beautiful. It helps that the Cinematography here is colorful. The audio includes DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound, but I have to be honest here, I generally use a Sony 2.1 “Surround” sound bar, which usually works fine. With this Blu-ray the sound didn’t come across as clean. The base range sounded a bit deeper than I would have liked.
Extras
I’ve come to expect a lot from Disney Blu-ray releases, this one is disappointing. There’s no DisneyFile copy, no commentary or picture in picture. The extras include a couple of previews, the full length “Born from the Boombox” documentary which is only 10 minutes, 8 Music Videos and some deleted scenes. The main draw for fans of the movie will be the 8 Music Videos. Oddly enough, while I like this movie a lot, I thought the music was actually pretty weak and forgettable.
Presentation
The Blu-ray packaging includes the Blu-ray and DVD disc and no DisneyFile copy which was disappointing. Since this movie is in 3D, expect another release in a few months. The onscreen menus are toned down, nothing flashy, just a straightforward navigation with everything being fast and easy to find.
Conclusion
Step Up 3 is just as much fun in plain 2 dimensions as it was in 3D. It’s worth watching just to watch the amazing performance by Adam Sevani. This movie is worth a rental if you are a fan of the dancing movie genre.
Grades
- Movie – B
- Picture and Audio – B
- Extras – C
- Presentation – C
Final Overall Grade – B
EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally posted 12.22.2010