Why would anyone in their right mind want to go see another one of these Step Up movies? The characters have no depth, the storylines lack originality, and the writing is just plain awful. Fine, maybe I can’t be considered in my right mind for enjoying them so much. I am a sucker for anything that involves dance—I’ll just put that out there now. I will expose myself to an inordinate amount of cheese if there is even a chance for one out-of-this-world dance sequence. The dancing in Step Up Revolution made me want to go back to Miami, jump up on a car, and start Crumping on Ocean Drive. Bottom line is, these movies make you want to get up and dance and you aren’t in YOUR right mind if you don’t enjoy feeling that way! For people like me (and the millions of other people watching these flicks), the creators of the Step Up franchise knew exactly what they were doing. This summer’s installment was no different.

Don’t get me wrong: I, along with everyone else in the theatre with even an iota of a cheese-meter, was writhing in my seat every time the main characters uttered one of their try-hard urban statements. Yet, not even an over-abundance of “Yo” and “That was sick!” was enough to take away from the beautiful scenery (and by that I am referring to the location, not the men, which I will get to later). I may be partial to my hometown, but setting the movie in Miami gave the director an opportunity to create a slicker and more relaxed feel, something that was lost on the other three Step Ups because they were filmed in Baltimore and New York. Though highly overdramatized (honestly, who practices their dance routines on the beach?), he also managed to showcase the most widely known, albeit stereotypical, aspects of Miami culture with beautiful shots of the beach, some Latin dancing, and an overall appreciation of the arts.

The biggest bone I have to pick with the Step Up movies is in regard to the inconsistent choices made in casting. In the original Step Up, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan were both very good dancers, but the choreography didn’t showcase their talent. In Step Up 2: The Streets, Robert Hoffman’s dancing proved that he was more than just a pretty face, but Briana Evigan seemed to fall short next to the other women in their crew.  The year 2010 brought the first 3D Step Up to the theatre (cleverly titled Step Up 3D), but did little in the way of casting solid lead dancers; Rick Malambri and Sharni Vilson were completely outshined by powerhouse dancers Adam Sevani and Alyson Stoner. Finally, we come to Step Up Revolution. I have been a fan of Katherine McCormick’s since she was on So You Think You Can Dance. McCormick seems to have an innate way of displaying every emotion she is feeling through her dancing; a talent that wasn’t overshadowed by her failed attempt at acting. However, though he may be great to look at, the male lead played by Ryan Guzman just couldn’t keep up. When he was on-screen dancing, I found myself looking everywhere else to see who was doing a better job.

If you have an opportunity to go see Step Up Revolution, I would say do so based on scenery and choreography alone. Clear your mind of any expectations that the acting will be better than that of its predecessors, and you will find yourself jamming to the soundtrack and wanting to mimic every move.