Plot: What’s it about?
Andie (Briana Evigan) is a dancer, but she doesn’t perform on a stage, instead she performs on the streets. She is a high end dancer no less, a member of the elite 410 dance crew. The 410 crew is known all over Baltimore, as the group breaks out the most impressive routines around. So on the streets, the 410 are respected and put their reputation on the line time and again, in special underground dance competitions. But Andie has devoted so much of her time to the 410, she has left school behind and now she faces the consequences. In a desperate last chance, she gets a chance to attend the Maryland School of Arts. Of course, she stands out at the MSA like a sore thumb, but can she make her last chance count?
I was kind of surprised to find a serious movie about rival street dance squads would be produced in 2008, but Step Up 2: The Streets is just that. I could understand a spoof of the 80s urban dance off pictures, but this tries to be dead serious and comes off as one pathetic movie. As soon as I realized how serious the filmmakers took the dance off lifestyle, I hoped for some unintentional humor, but this isn’t even fun on a camp level. The performances are wooden, thanks to a lackluster cast and some thin writing, while the dance moves are decent, but not often that memorable. If you’re into dance to an insane level, you’ll probably find something to enjoy with Step Up 2: The Streets. But unless you think everything in life is about dance, then you’re better off with one of the countless better movies out there.
Video: How does it look?
Step Up 2: The Streets is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I expected bright and bold visuals, but instead, the movie has a grittier, washed out look. That approach impacts the transfer, as scenes have an undersaturated, even soft appearance at times. Most scenes still show off a solid level of depth, but overall, this can’t compete with the upper level Blu-ray transfers. The colors look as they should, given the visual design involved, while contrast is passable, but inconsistent. So in the end, not as great as I had expected, but still a decent looking presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The case lists a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option, but in fact the prominent soundtrack is an uncompressed PCM 5.1 option. This is a movie about dance and as expected, the music is the main element here. The music sounds excellent, with deep bass and great directional presence and movement. If this is your kind of music, you’ll be in heaven as it sounds fantastic in this mix. The rest of the elements come off as reserved, but still fine. So aside from the music, not much to mention in this department. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, French and Spanish language tracks, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes two brief featurettes, a special video “prank,” some deleted scenes, and a host of music videos. Not much depth, but ample fluff to be perused here.
