Actions far better than words
Only a fool would go to see a dance movie sequel for the script. Step Up: Revolution is as predictable, cliched and overacted as its predecessors; maybe more so, as it lacks the quirky secondary characters. But that's not why you're watching. You're there for the dance. And how they deliver.
Step Up 4 is set in Miami; cue bikini-clad girls and rock-hard abs a-go-go, not to mention more excuses for seaside routines than in the cooler climes of Baltimore, site of the first two. It also lends itself to brighter colours, more syncopated beats, a departure from 'pure' street dance, and a heavy dose of Latin flavour (this is also the digression StreetDance 2 took; I, too, digress).
Alongside the formulaic plot - boy (Ryan Guzman) and girl (Kathryn McCormick) meet, get together, break up (guess the ending) - the subplot tries to make a political statement about the importance of standing up to The Man. It's too ambitious for a film of this calibre, but it does set the stage for a fantastic dance number featuring dollar bills, escalators and lots of hats.
Sadly, the film's 3-D effects actually detract from the quality of the dance, making it hard to focus on all the incredible moves.
Several of the 'actors', like McCormick, were part of So You Think You Can Dance; and while they may (wrongly) think they can act, they're completely on the money about being able to dance. Leave your film critic's hat at home, and enjoy this for what it is: unadulterated dance genius.
