Vibrant sequel in ‘Step Up 2’

“Step Up 2: The Streets” director John M. Chu takes the classic story of a girl with a passion for dancing who finds herself split between two worlds and breathes life into the plot with a fresh perspective.

The sequel to “Step Up,” the film follows the life of Andie (Briana Evigan), a social misfit who embraced the street-style dance as a child only to make it her one true love after her mother’s untimely death. Andie is taken in and raised by her mother’s best friend who finds Andie’s involvement in the street dance crew to be a corruption of her innocent young mind.

As a result of her mischievous behavior and lifestyle, Andie is almost sent to Texas to stay with her aunt. That is until Tyler Gage, played by star of the original “Step Up” film Channing Tatum, steps in and convinces her guardian to give Andie another chance.

In lieu of Texas, Andie is sent to the Maryland School of Arts, Tyler’s former stepping ground. At the school, she clashes with everyone involved in the classically trained style of dance; everyone except Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman). Collins is MSA’s star student whose brother happens to be the school’s headmaster and former Broadway star.

After a few rocky encounters, Chase takes Andie under his protective wing, and they begin to form a romantic bond as the movie goes on.

In general, the actors are as strong and synched in their dance moves as they are in their comedic timing. The main cast rounds itself off with strong performances. Two key performances come from Adam Sevani, who plays Moose, and Danielle Polanco, who plays Missy. Moose is a skinny skater kid in the lighting design department at MSA who holds a secret talent and passion for dancing, and Missy serves as the only peacekeeping member of the dance crew who brings friendship and her spicy Latin flavor to the table.

The movie also features some of the newest and hottest hip-hop laden tracks out right now, including “Low” by Flo Rida, and other sure-to-be hits from Missy Elliot and T-Pain.

The only pitfall of the movie is the lackluster performances from some of the supporting cast and the usual predictability that exists in a dance movie that contains a romantic element between the main characters.

“Step Up 2: The Streets” may make one wonder why they even bothered to go see the first one. The movie surpasses its precursor in every category, except Channing Tatum’s sex appeal.

Rating: Five out of five stars.