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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Step Up 3D (Film)

by Mamta Bhatt | August 03, 2010 09:53 | Edited August 03, 2010 09:53

While the narrative is one big cliché, it’s clear that it’s only there to serve as a break between the spectacular dance routines.

Animation, sci-fi and fantasy films have all done it, and now it's time for dance flicks to up the ante, with the newest 3-D instalment of the Step Up franchise following briskly in the footsteps of the recently released Streetdance. Dance, and particularly hip-hop dance, was made to be viewed in eye-popping 3-D, with the viewer invited into the dance through every fluid movement, almost touching the pulsating bodies.

 

In between the dance sequences, there is a half-baked attempt at a plot - riddled with stereotypes, clichéd catchphrases and complicated handshakes. Luke (Rick Malambri) owns a warehouse/club in New York where talented, homeless dancers connect with each other. Problem? The warehouse is facing foreclosure. Solution? WorldJam, the first ever, and conveniently timed, dance competition. All Luke has to do, to keep his house and family of misfit dancers together, is train his team, The Pirates, and new recruits Moose (the effervescent Adam G. Sevani) and Natalie (Aussie Sharni Vinson, who seems a little confused by her accent), for the mother of all showdowns.

 

The story is predictable and thoroughly clichéd, but it's easy to forgive since the plot is a necessary break between the mind-blowing dance routines. The 3-D experience takes the dancing to a new level of intense - be it tango, parkour, pop and lock, breakdancing or plain hip-hop.

 

Admittedly, though, the filmmakers seem a little too excited by the prospect of the technology, setting up scenes with bubbles, balloons and water for the sole purpose of 3-D experimentation. Nevertheless, if you can forgive the lacklustre plot and the cheesy set-ups, it's worth strapping in for the ride.