Pretty Good

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Tyler Gage receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with an up and coming dancer, Nora. If you're expecting 'Step Up' to be some kind of Dirty Dancing you're be very disappointed by the end cause this film might have the romantic part in it but it's all about second chances and dance and i can see why Channing Tatum and Jenna married a little bit after that cause they had a very good chemistry together and the choreography was pretty damn good. Definitely a film that became a huge success and spawned multiple sequels and even a tv series but also made lots of fans as well. (8/10)

What we have here, is a cliché-ridden school of the arts flick. I am moved to write this review while it is only halfway through. Perhaps I'll change my opinion by the time it ends. A story about a street smart, sort of, break dancer (Channing Tatum), a budding ballet student(Jenna Dewan Tatum), and assorted family and plot-filling friends. The boy happens to be sentenced to janitorial community service at the school after having broken in and vandalized the building with his buddies. The dancer suddenly is in need of a practice partner and (guess what?) our janitor just happens to take on the job. The plot is annoyingly formulaic. Dancer and dude fall in love. Mother disapproves. For tears, there is a random death that goes nowhere in the story line. Well, the two protagonists wind up together forever in the film and in real life, as they actually met and fell in love on the set which is, perhaps, the most interesting part of this tale. OK, it's over and I haven't changed my mind. Watching it was a waste of time. Now, what is the worst thing about this dance production? Unlike, "Fame," "Saturday Night Fever," "Flash Dance," etc., nobody in the film can actually dance!

"I'm fighting, for something that's real for the first time in my life!"When Anne Fletcher made her directorial debut way back in 2006 no one imagined that this small budget film with a relatively unknown cast would end up grossing over 100 million in the US and inspiring a franchise that currently stands at five movies. It wasn't received warmly by the critics due to its cliché storyline and corny dialogues, but audiences dug it. I never was interested in the franchise and this was my first time actually sitting down and watching one. The main reason was because I knew this was Channing Tatum's break out role. He had done a couple of movies before with smaller roles, but this was the first time he was given a lead role. Tatum has delivered some strong roles recently (Foxcatcher being his most impressive) so I wanted to go back and revisit some of his earlier work. I was surprised I actually ended up enjoying this film as much as I did and I think it is largely due to Tatum's charisma. He didn't deliver a great performance, but he definitely carried the film with his charm making it enjoyable. The dancing was also pretty solid although I am not much of an expert in that area. The main problems with Step Up revolve around the clichéd screenplay and dull subplots that almost derailed the film completely, but the charisma from Tatum and his excellent chemistry with Jenna Dewan make this an entertaining viewing experience. It's been 9 years since Tatum and Dewan met on set for this movie and they are still together in real life. The chemistry was really there. Step Up is one of those films that you know is formulaic, unoriginal, and without any great technical achievements, but you still find it enjoyable due to the charismatic lead performances. You could file Step Up under the romance/dance genre along with other films as Bring it On, Save the Last Dance, and Honey. The screenplays are perhaps the weakest thing about these films, but you still can find them enjoyable when the lead characters deliver charismatic performances and know how to dance. That is the case with Channing Tatum who plays a troubled young teen who lives with his foster parents and spends a lot of time in the streets. One night out with his friends he ends up vandalizing an arts school and gets caught. He is ordered to do 200 hours of community service as payment for the damages he caused. At the school he meets a young student from a wealthy family played by Jenna Dewan who dreams of becoming a dancer. When her dancing partner gets injured, he offers to help, and the plot evolves from there.The story works best when it focuses on the two lead characters rehearsing and dancing together, but when the film shifts its focus on other subplots revolving around their friends the story losses some of its appeal. There is unnecessary conflict introduced in the film that is resolved rather easily and in a predictable way. There is also a tragic scene that takes place near the end of the film that felt out of place (the melodrama is poorly handled by the screenwriters). However, the final dance scene is one of the best in the movie so it does end in a positive note. Despite its predictable storyline and formulaic premise, Step Up is still an enjoyable film. Not good enough however to get me interested in the sequels.

Step up 1 is a romantic comedy about the meeting of classical and street dance. When Tayler, street dancer and troublemaker, is arrested and sentenced to community service, he doesn't know it's actually a once in a life time opportunity. Indeed, he will meet the ballet dancer Norah, a student of the school and become her dance Partner.I had read a lot of negative reviews about this movie, and I can confirm some of the bad comments. It is true that the story is a little girlish, and you mustn't expect a huge brain activity while watching it ! Tayler gives his help to Nora, then take it back and give it again... You can find out the end since the beginning ! But on the other hand, if your goal for the night is to stay on your couch with some (girl) friends and enjoy a sweet comedy together, Step Up is for you ! If you are easy to please, you might even forget that you've already guess the end, and hope, cry and laugh with the characters.Moreover, you will certainly enjoy the dance scenes, which are more and more delightful throughout the film, and as you reach the end, the last scene is a real gift to the eyes and ears.In conclusion, I'd recommend it if you had a rough day and want to go to sleep with a cute smile on your face !