Entertainment
'Step Up 5' Coming to Theatres: How Will it Fare Among Other Dance Movies?
The original was heavy on great dance moves, but light on plot. But even back in 2006, it was derivative of an entire genre of dance movies — some at the top of the class, and others that didn't quite make the cut. Even more derivative are Step Up's endlessly spawning sequels, and it's currently set to release a fifth. Will it be good? Probably not, but now there's a sequel to satisfy your every mood. There's a Step Up: Revolution, The Streets (whatever that means), even a 3-D. So if dancing is your life, what movie should you see? Here are the ones not to miss, the ones to avoid, and their many, many sequels.
'Step Up'
The original was heavy on great dance moves, but light on plot. But even back in 2006, it was derivative of an entire genre of dance movies — some at the top of the class, and others that didn't quite make the cut. Even more derivative are Step Up's endlessly spawning sequels, and it's currently set to release a fifth. Will it be good? Probably not, but now there's a sequel to satisfy your every mood. There's a Step Up: Revolution, The Streets (whatever that means), even a 3-D. So if dancing is your life, what movie should you see? Here are the ones not to miss, the ones to avoid, and their many, many sequels.
'Dirty Dancing'
The definitive "girl meets boy and has life changed through dancing" movie, this film only gets better with age. Being that the movie is practically old enough to drink, pretty much all that needs to be said has been said about it...so what are you waiting for? Watch it, already!
The sequel: Not only did Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights have almost nothing to do with the original, it also had almost nothing to do with the screenplay that it was originally based on. Needless to say, it's safe to miss.
'Saturday Night Fever'
Whether it's a good film or not is debatable, but its influence is not. Saturday Night Fever brought disco into the mainstream as well a fabulous, white-suited John Travolta. Love disco and weird polyester suits (you should)? Then travel back to a time when John Travolta did not have the most terrifying hairline known to man.
The sequel: There's not one, but if you'd like some interesting nightmares, think about John Travolta doing a sequel today.
'Honey'
Starring Jessica Alba's abs, the movie oversells its syrupy sweet message about a failed dancer who eventually succeeds after starting a dance school for the inner-city kids in her neighborhood. While it's a terrible movie, it has tons of cameos from late '90s - early 2000s R&B royalty like Missy Elliott and Ginuwine.
The sequel: The original wasn't that good, so just take a guess as to whether Honey 2 is worth seeing.
'Flashdance'
It's an iconic movie, but it's also a terrible one. Thankfully, it's the '80s, so if you're dying to see the iconic water-drenched scene of the welder/dancer, you can check it out on YouTube. You can take a chance and watch the movie too, but I just hope you're into long close-ups of Jennifer Beals' sweaty ass...
The sequel: Doesn't exist, thankfully.
'Shall We Dance?'
A terrible American remake of a much better Japanese movie, this one takes all of the cheese. Probably one of the most boring romantic comedies to have hit theatres, you'll hate it, but Richard Gere ballroom dances in it, so your mom will probably love it.
The sequel: There isn't one, but just go ahead and watch any other movie with this name: the Japanese original, or my personal favorite, the musical with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
'How She Move'
Its get-a-better-life-through-dancing storyline is not new, and its writing is not great. But How She Move has a fierce female protagonist with the moves to back it up. It doesn't reinvent the wheel for modern hip-hop dance movies, but it is one of the best representations of the genre.
The sequel: There isn't one.
'Center Stage'
About as soapy as it gets, Center Stage follows a group of six young dancers in an intensive ballet school. Basically Degrassi: The Ballet Generation, the movie is great for people who love ballet (since it uses actual ballet dancers) or people who love high-strung dramatics (me), but not much else.
The sequel: Is called Center Stage: Turn Up and premiered on Oxygen, so based on those two facts you will probably already know if you should see it or not.
'You Got Served'
If you really like dance battles and really miss B2K, watch it. If you like well-written movies, don't. Seriously. Meagan Good plays the love interest, and her name is "Beautifull," that's how bad it is.
The sequels: There are two, equally unnecessary sequels: Take it to the Streets and Beat the World. Pick your poison.
'Stomp the Yard'
It's Basically You Got Served, except replace "dance battles" with "stepping competitions," B2K with Ne-Yo, and Meagan Good with...also Meagan Good (c'mon Meagan, find some better movies).
The sequel: If you know this type of movie, you know there is a sequel, and you know it is just the original movie title with a two-colon-setting of the movie on the end (if you guessed Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming, you win!).
'Billy Elliot'
About the son of an English coal miner who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, which tells you all you need to know about the movie — namely, there's cute kids in it, it challenges traditional notions of masculinity, and you just might cry.
The sequel: There's not one, and there certainly doesn't need to be.
'Take the Lead'
This movie is unique in that in combines two cliches: inspirational teacher changes the lives of inner city youth, and group combines styles for a competition to blow everyone away. Even Antonio Banderas cannot save this movie.
The sequel: Surprising that there isn't one, but really, there shouldn't be.
'Save the Last Dance'
The movie that started the hip-hop meets some kind of other dance trend in dance movies, but it started the trend for a reason. Not only does Save the Last Dance have a genuinely heartwarming relationship at its core, it also addresses racial tension. It's still a teen melodrama, but it's a good teen melodrama.
The sequel: Was direct-to-video, and a hollow echo of the original.
'Footloose'
Basically the Billy Joel of movies: very cheesy, very '80s, but good enough leave on if it's playing. If you have no other reason to watch it, watch it for Kevin Bacon's unintentionally hilarious angry dance scene.
The sequel: Technically a remake, there are those who say it was actually a pretty good movie, but I will never believe them enough to actually watch it.
'Black Swan'
Black Swan has about as much in common with Step Up as Heathers does with an original Disney channel movie, but it still deserves to be on this list for the technical prowess of its dancers. It may be much more psychological thriller than dance movie, but the ballet in the film is on pointe (not sorry). If you're into ballet, watch it for Natalie Portman's reportedly grueling ballet training shown off in the movie...but don't expect a happy ending.
The sequel: Just leave this movie alone, Hollywood. No. No more sequels.
