Customer Reviews

Step Up [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Its foundation may be shaped by a number of clichés, but Step Up manages to rise above all of its individual parts and surpass expectations. I'm not really a fan of the whole dance movie genre, but I really enjoyed this movie. That being said, I would never have watched it had Jenna Dewan, the absolutely hottest female on the planet, not been in it. Apparently, Channing Tatum represents some kind of eye candy for the female audience, as well -- but all I know is that Jenna Dewan is a veritable goddess.

Let's list some of those clichés peppering this story: you've got your hip-hop hoodlum heading down the wrong path in life who gets an unexpected chance to do something worthwhile; your pretty, rich girl who takes a desperate chance with a guy from the other side of the tracks; their early friction but inevitable romance; and it's served up with a noticeable dash of a future gangster learning his lesson the hard way. It all works out in a predictably cheesy conclusion, of course, but this film is too good to let cheesy endings and predictable storylines bring it down. For some reason, everything about Step Up just works like a charm.

Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) is a wayward youth seemingly content to grow up as a real loser, spending most of his time hanging out with his equally carefree friends, jacking cars, and basically just being a juvenile delinquent. After he's busted for trashing the auditorium at the Maryland School of Dance, though, he's sentenced to two hundred hours of community service there at the school. His devil-may-care attitude doesn't win him any friends initially, but one talented young dancer, Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan) does take notice of the dancing skills she sees him displaying for his hoodlum friends. After her dancing partner injures his foot and she can't find a suitable replacement, she reluctantly agrees to give Tyler a shot. She's desperate because the big Fall Senior Showcase is coming up, and that represents her big chance of actually making it as a dancer after she graduates. Obviously, it's not a smooth road ahead -- getting Tyler to mimic her more formal moves, getting Tyler to show up to practice on time, etc. Somewhere along the way, though, Tyler begins to have a new perspective on life and -- for the first time ever -- begins to dream of a better future. His friends resent him for what he is doing, but that proves to be the least of his troubles.

Step Up has a little bit of everything -- it's way more than a mere excuse to watch some good dancing. Most importantly, it starts with a story we've seen and heard before in numerous forms and takes it to new heights. And every strand of that story ultimately culminates beautifully in the Senior Showcase. Channing Tatum isn't going to win any awards for his brooding, uninspired acting, but that takes nothing away from the story. For her part, Jenna Dewan is fantastic in every way.

Finally, I just want to say that parents of young teenagers should have no qualms about letting their kids watch this movie. I think the PG-13 rating hinges for the most part on a tragic event that takes place late in the film. There is mild profanity, but there is no nudity whatsoever. The only danger would be for pre-adolescent boys, as the mere sight of Jenna Dewan is more than capable of causing the immediate onset of puberty. Seriously, though, this is a really good film that not only entertains, it also conveys a number of really important lessons about growing up in the real world, chasing your dreams, etc.

I love this movie. It is true that the end is very predictable. But it is so beautifully shot. And it reminds me something in the back of my head. We all had dreams in our childhood, but over time we tend to lose sight of them. This movie encourages you to step up for your dreams. I just saw the movie. And I will definitely buy the DVD. Everything is so beautiful in the movie, the music, the dance, the people...

The movie is nica and as long as I love dancing this movie get me excited
but I did't recieve that in special box It was normal cover and I always like to have my archieve protected

Bought this for my wife. Everything was as it was supposed to be. My wife is a "fan" of Tatum and was thrilled to finally see it. She thought the movie was definitely not his best work but that isn't reflective of the quality of the product supplied; timely delivery, good price, retail product.

Movie was is great shape, no scratches or anything to make it skip. We got it when we were told it should arrive at. Have to say it was shipped quickly and packaged well...

Another worthwhile teenage film

That's set around a dance

A guy who grew up the hard way

And gets a second chance

He's basically a smart-mouthed punk

Just headed for disaster

By picking fights and boosting cars

He's gonna get there faster

While cleaning up at the Art School

He notices this girl

As luck would have it, he's the man

She needs to help her twirl

She's a driven dancing queen

Who needs to get it right

On and off and off and on

They practice, feud and fight

I'm sure you've guessed how this one ends

With dancing and romance

But something in it strikes a chord

It's worth more than a glance

Amanda Richards

I loved this movie. It is more of a "Chicker Flicker" as we say it in my house. As a former dancer, I appreciate the truth it brought. Not everyone gets all moves and with time they begin to enjoy the new steps. I loved the story, at times very predictable, and you knew how the story will flow and how Tyler and Nora will end up. But still a great movie...I will defineitely be buying this movie... and not only because Channing is extremely HOT!

De superbe chorégraphie de danse, l'histoire est un peu simplette mais la musique et la danse sont tellement bien présentées que l'on oublie vite tout les petits détails à l'entour qui ne sont là que pour broder une histoire... pour ma part le rythme et la "vibe" m'ont amplement suffit a regarder ce petit chef-d'oeuvre et j'ai grandement aimé !

Bien sûr la fille est jolie, son amie aussi ce qui n'est rien pour gâcher le film, j'imagine que les femmes qui ont vue ce film vont sans doutes dire la même chose des deux gars, on essai d'attirer le public toujours par ce genre de cliché... en même temps je voie mal une femme qui n'est pas jolie avoir le courage de ce lancer dans ce domaine vue les préjugés et les critère de beauté pour ce faire un place...

Après on a le petit côté moral, responsabilité et leçon de vie qui vient couronner le tout, c'est un peu simpliste mais tellement pas si marqué que cela n'est pas trop dérangeant, bien sûr que c'est bien de vouloir faire de la moralité, mais c'est assez cliché dans ce genre de film... heureusement c'est qu'un léger, très léger survol du sujet.