Step Up 2 the Streets

Infobox Film
name = Step Up 2: The Streets


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Jon Chu
producer = Adam Shankman
Jennifer Gibgot
Anne Fletcher
writer = Tori Ann Johnson
Karen Barna
Duane Adler
starring = Briana Evigan
Robert Hoffman
Adam G. Sevani
Will Kemp
Cassie Ventura
music = Aaron Zigman
cinematography = Max Malkin
editing = Andrew Marcus
distributor = Summit Entertainment
Offspring Entertainment
released = February 14, 2008
runtime = 97 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $22,000,000
gross = $144,045,198
preceded_by = "Step Up"
followed_by = ""
website = http://www.myspace.com/stepupmovie
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1023481

"Step Up 2 the Streets" (aka "Step Up 2: The Streets") is the 2008 sequel to "Step Up" from Touchstone Pictures. The movie was directed by Jon Chu, and choreographed by Jamal Sims, Hi-Hat ("Bring It On") and Dave Scott ("Stomp the Yard"). Patrick Wachsberger and Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment produced with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment and Anne Fletcher, the director of the original film.

Plot

"Step Up 2 the Streets" is set in Baltimore, Maryland. It follows Andie West (Briana Evigan) as she pursues her big dream of becoming a street dancer. Her mother died of cancer when Andie was 16; she now lives with her mother's best friend, Sarah (her guardian), but in reality, Andie feels like she does not belong anywhere. Although she is doing badly at school, it is her passion for dancing that brings something good into her life. She rehearses regularly with her 'crew', the "410", to keep the title of the illegal competition, 'The Streets'. Sarah is tired of the crime and harassment by the 410 and tells Andie she will have to go to live with her aunt in Texas if she doesn't turn her life around.

Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) meets her at the dance club, The Dragon. Tyler tries to persuade her to audition for the Maryland School of the Arts (MSA), where Andie has to compete for a place, thinking it will help her life as it did his. When Andie refuses, Tyler decides to battle her for it. In a memorable dance scene, Tyler does great moves and wins the battle. The two head back to her place and Tyler convinces Sarah to let her join MSA. She eventually agrees, and Tyler leaves Andie to audition at MSA while he goes on tour with Nora, confident that she can make it. Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman) persuades the school director (his brother) Blake (Will Kemp) to recruit Andie after seeing a spectacular performance. When Andie's studies come before the crew, the members are not happy and decide to kick her out. So Andie and Chase form a new crew with help from many people Chase knows at the school, all of whom are not accepted as who they are, including Andie's new friend Moose (Adam G. Sevani). Chase has a copied key to the studio and the crew secretly practices their routine late at night when the school is empty. They perform at the local dance club, but are rejected and kicked out. Missy (Andie's friend, played by Danielle Polanco) joins the crew after dropping out of the 410 following the event, as she is disgusted by the crowd's reaction. Missy tells the crew that the only way to enter The Streets is to first do a prank and post it on the Internet to show that the crew is entering the competition. Wanting revenge from being humiliated before, Chase decides for their prank that they are going to make a fool out of Tuck (leader of the 410), as well as leave a dead fish in the vent of Tuck's home.

The crew goes to a family barbecue at Missy's house, and Chase's ex-girlfriend, Sophie, tags along. She begins to develop a crush on Moose after salsa dancing with him.

The 410 doesn't like the fact that they have a new crew to compete with so they warn Andie's group to stay out of The Streets or there will be consequences. When Tuck finds Chase, he assaults him for his prank. Chase comes into school the next day badly bruised and hurt. On top of that, the dance studio has been trashed by the 410 the previous night. Director Collins decides that he will not allow anyone from the school to be involved in illegal competitions. He then decides to expel Andie from MSA because of her involvement with the Streets competition after a tip-off from Sophie. When asked if there were any other students involved, Andie does not tell him about her crew.

When Sarah hears the news of Andie's expulsion, she tells her that she has had enough of her behavior and that Andie now must go to live with her aunt in Texas. Just when Andie is packing her bags to leave for Texas, she receives a text message from Missy that The Streets is on that night - the same night as the MSA fundraiser. Along with Andie, her whole crew gets the text message. They decide to ditch the MSA fundraiser (except for Moose) and instead compete in The Streets. Sarah hears about what Andie did to protect her crew and is proud of her. She allows Andie to compete at The Streets with her crew.

When Collins realizes that his students are missing, he questions Sophie, who tells him where they are. Moose overhears and admits to being part of the crew, taking Collins and Sophie to The Streets just in time for the crew's performance. The director sees them compete and realizes that the street dancing he has been opposing is in fact a legitimate form of artistic expression. He accepts Andie into MSA again.

To Moose's surprise, he gets kissed by Sophie. With Andie's crew being supportive friends and her education now secured, the film finds its optimistic ending - a passionate kiss between Andie and Chase.

The film's director, Jon Chu, also had a few appearances in the movie, including one as the stage play's director.

Cast

* Briana Evigan as Andie West
* Robert Hoffman as Chase Collins
* Adam G. Sevani as Robert "Moose" Alexander III
* Will Kemp as Blake Collins
* Cassie Ventura as Sophie Donovan
* Danielle Polanco as Missy Serrano
* Sonja Sohn as Sarah
* Black Thomas as Tuck
* Telisha Shaw as Felicia
* Channing Tatum as Tyler Gage

Trivia

* The name of the dance team is "410". 410 is the area code for telephone numbers in Baltimore.
* To prepare for the role of Chase Collins, Robert Hoffman actually went into the Baltimore city underground dance scene and participated in competitive break dance circles.
* During the final dance, in the part where all the guys are dancing, Smiles, one of the crew (two dancers away from Chase), is wearing a white jacket in one shot, and a black sleeveless shirt in the next. The continuity error repeats twice afterwards.
* Another male dancer (Cable) takes off his red jacket during the beginning of the final dance, but is seen wearing it in some shots, and not in others. There are also continuity errors with another male dancer (Hair) during the final dance; he is shown with a jacket on in some shots, and without it on in others.
* After Chase gets the black eye, he talks to Andie when she gets expelled. He does not have the black eye during that scene, but when he goes to talk to Blake, the bruise returns, although it appears to have healed a little.
* In the final scene when Sophie leans in and kisses Moose his cap is worn frontwards but at the end of the kiss his cap is seen to be worn backwards.
* After Andie's phone is vibrating and she's sleeping, Tuck is heard playing Killzone 2 a Playstation 3 exclusive video game which isn't due for release until February 2009.
* After the subway prank, on the rooftop Missy was pulling the scarf she was wearing, and when Tuck got there she was having it on, and on the next shot she wasn't wearing it.
* The dance scene in the club was filmed in the building of the Former Hammerjacks, now Bourbon Street in Baltimore.

Box-Office reception

The film opened at #2 and earned $18,908,826 in its opening weekend. As of August 4, 2008 "Step Up 2 the Streets" have grossed $58,017,783 in domestic box office and $86,027,415 in other parts of the world, bringing a wordwide total of $144,045,198. Critics, though, have reviewed the movie to the point where it only received 24% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and on the website it says, "There's a kinetic appeal to the handsome cast and their smooth moves, but everything else about Step Up 2 the Streets is been there, danced that." [cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/step_up_2_the_streets/ | title=Step Up 2 The Streets Movie Reviews, Pictures | publisher=Rottentomatoes.com]

DVD/Blu-ray release

The movie was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 15, 2008.

;Special features
* "Thru Fresh Eyes" - Take a look behind the scenes at the making of Step Up 2 the Streets. You’ll also meet the choreographers and dancers who bring it all to life
* "Outlaws of Hip-Hop: Meet the 410s" - An exclusive profile of the film’s real life underground hip hop dance crew
* Robert Hoffman video prank
* Deleted scenes and bloopers
* Full dance routine from the JabbaWockeeZ and West Coast Riders
* 6 music videos
# Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - Low
# Missy Elliott - Ching-a-Ling
# Cherish feat. Yung Joc - Killa
# Plies feat. Akon - Hypnotized
# Brit & Alex - Let It Go
# Cassie - Is It You?

The Blu-ray release carries the same special features.

oundtrack

The soundtrack was released February 5, 2008 by Atlantic Records.

;Track listing
# "Low" - Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
# "Shake Your Pom Pom" - Missy Elliott
# "Killa" - Cherish feat. Yung Joc
# "Hypnotized" - Plies feat. Akon
# "Is It You" - Cassie
# "Can't Help But Wait (Remix)" - Trey Songz feat. Plies
# "Church" - T-Pain
# "Ching-a-Ling" - Missy Elliott
# "Push - Enrique Iglesias
# "3-6-9" - Cupid feat. B.o.B
# "Impossible" - Bayje
# "Lives in Da Club" - Sophia Fresh feat. Jay Lyriq
# "Girl You Know (Remix)" - Scarface feat. Trey Songz
# "Say Cheese" - Keyshia Cole
# "Let It Go" - Brit & Alex
# "Ain't No Stressin'" - Montana Tucker, Sikora and Denial
# "The Diary of Jane" - Breaking Benjamin

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/stepupmovie Official site]
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