Step Up 2 the Streets

NEW YORK (CNS) -- There's very little that's original about "Step Up 2 the Streets" (Touchstone). But this lighthearted dance sequel has enough humor, charm and high-energy choreography to keep it enjoyable.

Orphaned Baltimore teen Andie West (Briana Evigan) prefers dancing with her guerrilla hip-hop crew, the 410, to attending school or doing her homework. Under the dictatorial command of their tough leader, Tuck (Black Thomas), the 410 have won the renowned underground competition known as "the Streets" five years running.

Faced with the possibility of being shipped off to Texas unless she gets her life under control, Andie applies to the prestigious Maryland School of the Arts and, at the behest of Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman) -- the big man on campus and younger brother of the school's director, Blake (Will Kemp) -- is accepted.

Soon Andie and Chase are not only dancing together, but -- you guessed it -- falling for each other, much to the annoyance of Chase's girlfriend, Sophie (singer Cassie Ventura). Equally put out by Andie's new circumstances are her colleagues from the 410, who react to her frequent absences from rehearsal by expelling her.

At Chase's suggestion, Andie assembles a crew of her own. Each is a likable eccentric, from nerdy, irrepressible "Moose" (Adam G. Sevani) to linguistically challenged Japanese exchange student Jenny Kido (Mari Koda) to stuntman-turned-dancer "Monster" (Luis Rosado).

The stage is set for the inevitable showdown between the 410 and Andie's group, the MSA, with outbreaks of reverse snobbery and a nasty fistfight along the way.

In addition to being derivative, director Jon M. Chu's first feature also suffers from occasionally clunky dialogue and some subpar acting. But the movie still manages to be both funny and touchingly romantic in between its well-staged dance sequences.

Evigan and Hoffman are winning, with her quiet dignity well matched by his sly cockiness. And it's a tribute to the film's innocent atmosphere that when they finally share a single kiss, it seems like a very big deal indeed.

The film contains one scene of violence, moderately suggestive dancing and some crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops