What Do The Critics Say?

"A robust addition to the street dance sub genre of movies, Step Up 2 The Streets offers plenty of exhilarating routines and a feasible storyline. Jon Chu directs with all guns blazing, and the film's climactic dance routine is performed in a downpour - which is a risky idea, but Chu makes it work." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "Providing you're not hip-hop- or cliche-averse, see Step Up 2 the Streets with the right expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised." Michael Phillips CHICAGO TRIBUNE "Inexplicably, I liked this film more than its predecessor. Wait - let me type that again, just to let the reality sink into my own mind: I actually liked Step Up 2." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT "The story may be old, but these kids act, and dance, as though they are telling it for the first time." Nell Minow CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "As with most films of this ilk ( You Got Served , Step Up I) the film is light on humour and heavy on easy-to-follow teen street lingo." Jim Schembri THE AGE "of course, Step Up 2 all boils down to the dance sequences, montages, and the final showdown on the rain-drenched streets. If those don’t work, then the movie is going to fall flat on its face. Luckily, USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate Jon Chu, making his directorial debut with Step Up 2, shows off some of those skills he learned in school. A worthy sequel, and its soundtrack [is] a worthy download." Kit Bowen HOLLYWOOD.COM

"All the supporting characters' one note traits are actually cute. The guy with the teeth, the Asian with the accent, the too tall girl, the tap dancing rebel. It's not supposed to be deep, it's just fun. Only now, the dancing is really awesome. There are clever displays of talent, and it's hot and sexy too.I'm not saying it's Stomp the Yard, but it's pretty good." Fred Topel CAN MAGAZINE "This time our heroine is Andie (Briana Evigan), a rowdy Baltimore high-schooler who spends all her time with The 410, a street-dancing squad specializing in impromptu public performances designed to surprise and unnerve onlookers. First-time feature director Jon Chu and choreographer Hi-Hat (see also: "How She Move") execute some gnarly dance scenes, culminating in a rain-soaked finale that sizzles with teen-friendly sexual energy. The performers were not chosen for their acting abilities, nor are they called upon to do anything more than address the usual Afterschool Special dilemmas and dramas. It's all about the dancing, and there's no denying the skill involved there." Eric D Snider ERICDSNIDER "Step Up 2 features nearly as much dancing as it does dialogue, and that's a good thing, considering the after-school special quality of its obligatory emotional scenes." Peter Debruge VARIETY "The musical numbers are plentiful, and they help divert you from a plot riddled with holes. A finale has the young people all dancing in the rain. Like almost everything else about the movie, it has been done before. But it's still foot-stomping fun. "Streets" follows the formula of the original - boy and girl from different sides of the tracks meet over a shared passion - but is a step up because of exuberantly choreographed dance numbers." Ruthe Stein SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "Evigan and Hoffman lead a team of natural and likeable characters, who are fit, fantastic and seemingly nuclear- powered and dynamically convert their stunning gyrations into physical poetry." Stan James THE ADVERTISER REVIEW

The Inside Story follow-up to the smash box-office hit "Step Up" takes the story of urban street-dancing to the next stage with an electrifying new story of bodies, hearts and dreams in motion. Driven by hypnotic dance, music and break-out performances like its predecessor; "Step Up 2 The Streets" features the directorial debut of up-and-comer Jon M Chu. With an exciting cast of youthful newcomers, many of whose personal stories of rough-hewn talent and hard-won achievement mirror their characters in the film, the film also reunites much of the production team behind the original film, including cutting-edge hip-hop choreographer Jamal Sims, who is joined this time by leading choreographers Nadine 'Hi Hat' Ruffin (dubbed "hip-hop’s high diva of dance") and Dave Scott ("Stomp the Yard"). In the summer of 2006, theatergoers were ignited by "Step Up", a hip-hop fairy-tale that combined the heated rhythms of street dance and music with the story of a boy and a girl at an elite performing arts academy risking everything for each other and their dreams of dancing. At once rousing and romantic, the film, directed by Anne Fletcher and starring Channing Tatum, was a runaway instant hit at the box office grossing over US$ twenty million in its opening weekend. The success was so resounding, there was talk right away of a follow-up, but the producers who had set the first film into motion; Patrick Wachsberger ("In the Valley of Elah") and Erik Feig ("Mr & Mrs Smith") of Summit Entertainment and Offspring Entertainment’s Adam Shankman ("Hairspray") and Jennifer Gibgot ("The Wedding Planner"), didn’t want to just tack a story onto the originals fable-like ending. Instead, they made the decision to take an entirely fresh look at their setting – Baltimore’s performing arts mecca for teens, the Maryland School of the Arts (MSA), and create an even more dynamic experience for audiences who were captivated by Step Up’s combo of compelling drama and cutting-edge dance numbers. With a new slate of dance films, including Shankman’s acclaimed 2007 hit "Hairspray", heating up the screen, and an increasing American fascination with the thrills and expressiveness of dance competitions; there was an imperative to give the new film its own electrifying style and sense of authentic storytelling. The producers recruited a young but already promising director to helm the project: Jon M Chu, a 2004 graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a former dancer himself who had won numerous awards for a series of short films ("Silent Beats", "While the Kids Were Away", and "Gwai Lo" ["The Little Foreigner"]) that drew acclaim and attention with their unique mix of sharp storytelling and innovative choreography. Producer Jennifer Gibgot recalls: "When Jon came in he already had so many original, unique ideas. He was ready to show off all his assets; his love of dance, his inventiveness and, most of all, his passion for storytelling." Executive producer David Nicksay adds, "Jon was trained as a dancer himself, and more than anything else, he understands the culture of the streets. He gets what’s going on with the people who feel they have to dance no matter what else is happening in their lives." "I wanted to step things up a notch because the dance in the first movie was so beautiful. This time, we wanted to use a different, grittier style, taking it out to the streets, where we could incorporate a lot more diversity of movement, everything from tap to double dutch, to salsa, to popping, locking and breaking," Chu says. "That also opened the door to a lot of new characters." Chu was drawn in by the screenplay, written by Toni Ann Johnson ("Mean Jadine") and debut screenwriter Karen Barna, which sees the MSA school in a time of turmoil and transition, having lost its identity and its once inspiring connection to the city of Baltimore’s steely beauty. The screenplay also introduced two new characters with riveting stories: Andie West, a free spirit and rebellious hip-hop dancer who is still reeling from the death of her mother when she is pushed into going to MSA, where she must fight to fit in; and Chase, the school’s most popular student, yet one who has his own doubts about the direction of the school’s future, as well as his own. Andie is an outsider. Chase is a star. "This movie is almost an inverted version of the first movie. It’s really a movie about underdogs and misfits, about the people who nobody wants or believes in. Without really trying to, Andie changes the school and opens the director’s eyes to accepting new forms of dance. And like "Step Up", it is ultimately a story about love, hope and believing in yourself," says "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" producer, Gibgot. "This movie is a real fun ride but it’s also about owning the world you’re in, celebrating what makes you different, what makes you special," Chu adds. "We all get lonely, or feel out of place, or feel we don’t fit in at times. I don’t think that ever goes away, no matter what age you are or where you are from, but sometimes you just need someone to remind you that there’s a lot of life ahead of you and the world is what you make it." Robert Hoffman, who began dancing way back in kindergarten, mastering every form, from tap and ballet to jazz and all the way to hip-hop as he grew up and, much like his character Chase, winning all kinds of awards and competitions. "Chase is the guy at MSA who has it all going for him, but the one thing he’s never had, which is actually very much a parallel in my life, is someone to tell him to believe in his own voice as a dancer, to tell him to dance how he wants to dance, from the inside," he explained. "When Andie comes to the school, it’s through her that Chase gets rejuvenated. He finds his passion for dance again. She shows him what it’s like to dance from your heart, to really be an individual, and that changes everything for him." "When you see Robert as Chase really pour it out on the floor it becomes clear that hip-hop is an art form and even his brother can see the art in it," says Chu. "Robert makes that transformation happen." The heart of "Step Up 2 The Streets" is Andie, the young woman from the same tough neighborhood as Tyler Gage who must try to find a way to transcend her troubled past and fit in at MSA, while still staying true to her roots on the streets of Baltimore. The filmmakers knew they would need to find someone who had both the dancing skills and the acting chops to make her journey come alive. This led them to a brand-new face: Briana Evigan, who at the age of 7 started dancing with hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks (TV'S "So You Think You Can Dance?") and has gone on to appear in several music videos and independent films. When Evigan first read with Robert Hoffman, the temperature in the room soared. "When they read together it was magic," Chu recalls. "Briana came alive and she and Robert fed off each other’s energy just as we hoped." "Briana brought a deep, soulful quality to Andie. She comes off as very authentic, organic and moving," adds executive producer David Nicksay ("Be Cool" & "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can"). "She’s also incredibly funny and a smashing dancer." Evigan, too, was grabbed by the strong affinity between her own struggles as a young actress and dancer and those of her character. "Andie might start the film having lost a lot, but she’s got a goal and dream and she’s not going to let anything get in her way," Evigan offers. "Her mother has died, she has no father figure, and she’s a little unsure about men." When it came to the demands of the dancing, Evigan took a new approach; trying to emulate the strength and fury of street dancers. "I had to drop the whole sexy thing that I had developed and break away from that for a more hardcore approach," she explained. "It was challenging but I loved it and learned so much. I also loved the way the members of the dance crews each had such strong personalities so that the dancers and their personal relationships stand out much more than they do in other dance movies I’ve seen." When Andie arrives at MSA, she finds herself in a rivalry with one of the school’s most promising and confident female talents: the 'triple threat' actor, singer and dancer, Sophie, who also happens to be Chase’s jealous ex-girlfriend. For this key role, the filmmakers chose another newcomer to the screen, Cassie Ventura, the R&B recording artist who makes her feature film debut. She turned out to be the only member of the astonishingly accomplished cast who had no real dancing experience. But this was only a minor hitch for Cassie, who honed her natural talent in intensive rehearsals. "I knew that if I put my heart into it, people would feel that," she said, adding "I just went for it." Chu notes, "I think she really enjoyed playing a kind of bad guy role, because she herself is so sweet." So how did the filmmakers feel about the finished product and what were the highlights for them? "What I love most about the characters in "Step Up 2 The Streets" is that when words aren’t enough, they are able to speak from somewhere else. Their bodies do the speaking, and that’s the common thread amongst all of them, and it’s the driving force of the movie," says Chu. Producer Erik Feig ("Slackers") echoes that sentiment. "We are deeply proud of the "Step Up" franchise at Summit. The movies create an instant party, and make you leave the theatre in a better mood than when you first walked in; rarer and rarer these days. Jon Chu has pushed himself and this movie more than we ever could have imagined; the dance leaves you breathless, these characters are deeply relatable and likeable, and the music is insanely off the hook." Synopsis

Rebellious Andie, still affected by the loss of her mother, is an outcast trying to fit in. She's living with her deceased mom's best friend who promised to take care of her. But Andie's latest stunt, which has been posted on You Tube, has finally broken the camels back. Now she's being shipped off to a relative in Texas. Then she's thrown a life-line. The chance to attend the elite Maryland School of the Arts. She's still trying to hold on to her old dream of dancing with an underground Baltimore 'street' crew. M.S.A’s hottest talent Chase is a rising star who’s looking to break out of his mold by forming a crew to compete in Baltimore’s biggest, most raw street dancing battle, "The Streets". Now, as Chase joins forces with Andie, the two simultaneously clash and sizzle, sending Andie’s two worlds into collision. With the pressure heating up from friends, on the dance floor and in her life, she must learn to build a bridge between love and loyalty, freedom and opportunity, who she is, and who she believes she can be.

The Verdict "It's the latest in a long line of dance genre films that started with "Fame". Energetic, exciting and very sexy, "Step Up 2 The Streets" should, like it's surprise hit predecessor "Step Up", once again prove to be, a hit with younger audiences and those viewers who are fascinated with the progression of dance styles featured on the big-screen. In "Step Up" it was a defiant rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore’s tracks named Tyler Gage who was thrown a lifeline by the Maryland School of the Arts. This time round it's a young rebel named Andie. She is facing the prospect of being sent to live with a relative in Texas. She too gets a lifeline from the Maryland School of the Arts. Like "Step Up" the dialogue appears to be lacking. That should be overlooked because lets face it, like we did, these kids have their own way of communicating with each other, and what speaks loudest and fittingly for a film in this genre is how good the dance sequences are. They are what you would expect: athletic; energy packed and when it comes to the finale`, stunning. Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "STEP UP 2 THE STREETS" stars .......
Briana Evigan ["House Of The Damned", "Something Sweet" and "Bottoms Up"]; Robert Hoffman ["Coach Carter", "Guess Who" and "She's the Man"]; Will Kemp ["Van Helsing"]; Danielle Polanco ["Idlewild"]; Harry Shum Jnr ["You Got Served"]; Alison Faulk ["American Beauty", "Along Came Polly", "You Got Served" and "Be Cool"]; Channing Tatum ["Supercross", "She's the Man", "Step Up" and "Battle in Seattle"] and Black Thomas ["Dreamgirls"] as Tuck.
"STEP UP 2 THE STREETS" was .......
directed by Jon Chu ["Silent Beats" and "When the Kids Are Away"]; characters created by Duane Adler ["Save the Last Dance", "Step Up" and "Save the Last Dance 2"]; art direction by Paul D Kelly ["The First Wives Club", "The Thomas Crown Affair", "Shaft" and "Ladder 49"]; costume design by Luca Mosca ["Shooting Vegetarians", "Griffin & Phoenix" and "Vantage Point"]; production design by Devorah Herbert ["Lovely & Amazing", "Mysterious Skin" and "Waiting"]; edited by Andrew Marcus ["Hedwig and the Angry Inch", "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and "Under the Tuscan Sun"]; cinematography by Max Malkin ["Blind Horizon"]; original music by Aaron Zigman ["The Notebook", "Take the Lead", "Bridge To Terabithia" and "The Jane Austen Book Club"]. Who's Who?

Briana Evigan Robert Hoffman Adam G Sevani Cassie Ventura Will Kemp Danielle Polanco Christopher Scott Mari Koda Janelle Cambridge Luis Rosado Harry Shum Jr LaJon Dantzler Telisha Shaw Black Thomas Kejamel 'K-Mel' Howell Jeff 'Rapid' Ogle Donnie 'Crumbs' Counts Ebone Johnson Rynan 'Rainen' Paguio James 'Cricket' Colter Alison Faulk Shorty Welch Troy Kirby Jeffrey 'Machine' McCann Sonja Sohn Channing Tatum Boogie Amarr Merritt

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Andie Chase Collins Moose Sophie Blake Collins Missy Hair Jenny Kido Fly Monster Cable Smiles Felicia Tuck K-Mel Rapid Crumbs EBZ Kid Rainen Cricket Alsta Shorty Troy Machine Sarah Tyler Gage DJ Sand Charlie

Run Time 95 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Universal Pictures International - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.