Some time ago I was a huge fan of this franchise. It all started with this sequel because I thought the first was a little lackluster aside from a mega hot Channing Tatum. Well he's topped here in my opinion by a gorgeous and very talented Robert Hoffman and a sexy and fierce Brianna Evigan (Sorority Row). This time around we are introduced to a competition called the street in which a group of MSA students gather to become a crew and compete. The politics are expected but effective and the dance sequences are electrifying. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a guilty pleasure filled with melodrama but it's the best of the series, overly entertaining and filled with some diverse, colorful characters. Funny, romantic and thrilling.

Budget: $17.5M Box Office: $150.8M

7.5/10

A rebellious street dancer named Andie, part of Baltimore's most intimidating dance crew, the 410, who is given a chance to attend the prestigious Maryland School of the Arts. She finds it difficult to fit into her new school life while keeping her friends from the 410. Determined to prove her skills, she assembles an eclectic crew of classmates that includes Chase, the schools best dancer, to compete against the 410 in the premier underground dance battle in Baltimore, The Streets.

I quite enjoyed Step Up, although the plot was clichéd and predictable, but the dance moves were good. Now picture that, times TEN! Anyone crazy enough to see this movie for the plot should not see this film. Why would anyone see this movie? The dance moves.

There are double the dancing sequences and double the greatness! I was won over by it. The charming two leads and the lovable characters add as the cherry on top. The plot? There's nothing there. Been there. Done that. However, if you set your expectations right, you'll be surprised to turn out that you like this movie.

Obviously, if you're an older person, you may not like this movie as much as if you're a teen. Of course, the demographics for this movie is to attract teens. All in all, this is about a notch or two better than the original, but plotwise, it's the same. Watch this movie for the dances. Not the plot. Otherwise, the piece is entertaining.

The opening just might inspire the return of the flashmobbers, a fad which picked up for a short time in Singapore (of which I did participate in one),and then faded into oblivion. From the get go, it seemed like a unique idea, until you realize it's all staged to gain street cred in this Youtube age, performed by "crew" members of reigning street dance champions 410.

But Step Up 2 retains much of the superficial facade of the original movie, with the setting in the same elite school, only with a different cohort. From what we've seen in the first, those snobby arty farty dance kids no longer hog the spotlight, as it is firmly on a group of misfits who are here to replace the loss of the previous two leads Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum, although the latter did land a guest appearance to cement the excuse for a sequel, as well as to pass on the troubled teen mantle to Andie (Briana Evigan).

Whatever troubles these teens have, it's all secondary to the purpose of making the movie. Sure, you have the outcast who don't look right and get prejudiced against, a typical younger brother trying to step out of the shadows of his more illustrious brother who's now school principal, and some might even deem it condescending to have an Asian character who speaks in a funny accent. Too many characters here and all of them turn out to be one- dimensional and cardboard. But all that camaraderie building aside, which is what is formulaic glue, the main draw is undoubtedly the street dancing moves.

I'd bet everyone in the audience, who are mostly teenagers into free form dance, will lap up all the moves that the cast put on display. And there are plenty of set pieces for one to gawk at. However, in my own personal un-dance-like opinion, the dancing here pales in comparison to the first. What made the first interesting to watch, is the fusion of two different schools of thought, and having them come together for an explosive finale which was worth the wait. Here, it's more improvisation, and even then, you can't help but notice the very individualistic styles that stand out on its own, never for a minute trying to blend in with the rest of the crew.

Coming together for the expected finale was also very staged and forced, and in no way given the story development, can they pull off something like that. Even so, instead of one coherent act, you get many disjointed short sequences being force fit together. Not very effective, or interesting to sit through unfortunately. So I am going to state that Step Up 2 the Streets is strictly meant for street dance fans, otherwise this makes the first movie look like a class act of its own.