The James Logan Courier

By Christina La, Courier Editor-in-Chief

“Step Up 2 The Streets” is the follow-up to the smash hit “Step Up,” which was in theaters August 2006. Unlike the original where the main character was a male (Channing Tatum), the sequel stars a teenage girl named Andie (Briana Evigan), who is a member of the 4-1-0, a hip hop dancing crew that is known to be the best in their neighborhood. Having just lost her mom to cancer, Angie refuses to behave, spending too many nights competing in underground dance battles called the Streets.

Her mom's friend, Sarah (Sonja Sohn) tells her to shape up or she's shipping her out to Texas to stay with her aunt. Willing to do whatever it takes to stay with her crew, Andie takes advice from an old friend Tyler (Channing Tatum) and decides to audition for and gets enrolled in the Maryland School for the Arts. At her new school, Andie meets Chase (Robert Hoffman), one of the best dancers and most popular guys in school; Moose, the loose-limbed nerd that nobody seems to notice has his own talent of dancing (Adam G. Sevani); and Chase's brother, Mr. Collins (Will Kemp), the young dance instructor who carries a legacy of inspiration in the school itself.

Andie is the only member of the 4-1-0 apparently in school. Eventually, Andie gets kicked out of the crew for missing rehearsal. But with the demanding and prideful leader, Tuck (Black Thomas) insisting that 4-1-0 comes second to nothing, Chase comes upon the idea that Andie can begin a crew of her own. Together, they cobble together an energetic gang of classmate freestylers who help each other in making their dreams become reality. In the end, the group seals an aerobic dance number that gives the movie a happy ending defusing racial and social politics by getting them soaking wet.

The story line may not be the highlight of the film but the choreography and soundtrack will definitely catch your attention and brighten the excitement of the audience. Although this wasn’t exactly the best movie I could have watched on Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend, I still enjoyed it anyways. I give “Step Up 2 The Streets” 3 out of 5 stars.