Step Up
Might contain spoilers.
As always, my sister, cousins, and I all loved this film. It was what I expected this time: an enjoyable movie from nearly 20 years ago. The casting is perfect; it doesn’t require much from Channing Tatum as an actor and lets him show off his incredible dancing skills. It’s hard to believe he was initially intimidated on account of being an amateur working alongside professional dancers!
Jenna Dewan manages to fill in the blanks in her character and show off her equally impressive dancing skills along the way. I like Mario as Miles and Drew Sidora as Lucy (even though she’s really more of a collection of stereotypes and clichés than a character). Skinny is a little obnoxious but his death is heartwrenching.
It feels strange that Tyler is white, as if the role had been written for a black person but was adjusted to Hollywood’s tastes. Mac’s angry speech to Tyler after burying Skinny is yet another cliché, and not well written either.
The final showcase is astounding. The music is still first rate, particularly Miles’s remixes. I may actually have seen the movie more than five times, but I can’t remember.