Review of Step Up 3D (2010) by Chads. — 08 Aug 2010

They're only garbage can lids, but it's her garbage can lids; an old black woman, outside, sweeping her brownstone front, whom Moose(Adam G. Sevani) and Camille(Alyson Stoner) harass and taunt, as these NYU students disturb the aluminum covers, before throwing them to the ground, once they outlive their usefulness as appropriated percussions.

The kids owe the townie an apology. With Fred Astaire's "I Won't Dance"(from William Seiter's "Roberta") playing over the soundtrack, the sense of entitlement that these freshmen demonstrate is easy to overlook.

They're cute, adorable even, but self-involved, and oblivious of the people around them. Dislocated from its period, the archaic music, in conjunction with the film's New York setting, can't help but conjure up Woody Allen, who employs pre-rock and roll music in all of his movies, and more importantly, fancies the intellectual upper-class.

Arguably, this seemingly harmless encounter is a case of class warfare. And the hubris doesn't stop there, as Moose and Camille then help themselves to a pair of in-line scooters, no doubt angering its young owners, turned off by the flippant affectedness of these hoofin' strangers, who heave the wheels across the sidewalk with practiced nonchalance.

Appropriately, and ironically enough, the song and dance originates near a Mister Softee truck, since Moose and Camille owe these children(and the old lady) some frosty treats. Moose, an engineering major, can't concentrate on his studies, because Luke(Rick Malambri), a documentary filmmaker, distracts his protege, encouraging him to cut classes, perhaps, out of jealousy; perhaps, he yearns to be a film major and not the financeer of a fledgling dance troupe.