I Can't Believe You Won't Shut Up.
Right, so here's my problem with the second and third Step Up movies.
In the first movie, I was invested in Nora and Tyler's relationship because they seemed like real people. Tyler was a fuck-up, but he was genuine and tried to be good. Nora spent so much time trying to appear perfect, even though her life wasn't. Their lives were filled with disappointments and sorrow and triumphs, and I was with them every step of the way, rooting for them. Because on some level, I got them and where they were coming from.
In the second movie, Andie was the fuck-up with something to prove. She had a great personality, an interesting family background and supporting cast, and Moose was awesome. I loved them both, but the guy was so generic and bland that I can't even remember his name. I like Robert Hoffman, man, but this wasn't his best work. And when you're trying to sell me a love story, I can't be bored by one half of your couple. You cannot give me living beige and expect me to care. You just can't. The only thing that saved the movie for me was Andie, Moose, and the dancing, but I didn't buy into the romance the way I did with Tyler and Nora.
I was bored shitless by the third movie. The leads might as well be mannequins for all the chemistry they have together and how real they seem. You have all the usual plot points -- two people from opposite sides of the tracks meet over dance and fall in love -- but it never quite gels together for me. And they fall for each other so quickly! There's no build-up, no flirting, no romance to it; he stalks her in the club and she goes with him and boom! they fall for each other, and it's so fucking boring.
Natalie is so devoid of any real conflict that even when the big revelation about her family connections comes, I couldn't be arsed about it. Luke is just white noise as a person: you hear him talk, but nothing sinks in and eventually, you fall asleep. He's not a real person, he's a collection of personality quirks and wretched dialogue, and I was so utterly bored by his existence that I couldn't believe he was the lead. He doesn't even dance, he's a filmmaker! What the fuck, movie?
As usual, Moose saved the movie for me. His delight with the dance scene, his screw-ups with Camille, Camille herself and her shifting emotions where Moose is concerned, all of it was just wonderful and charming, and I wish the entire movie had been about them. Them and the supporting cast came across as more real than Luke and Natalie; they had more personality, they seemed to have inner lives, and I had to fast forward through all the scenes where Natalie and Luke gaze adoringly into each other's eyes because I just couldn't take it anymore.
Which sucks because I really do love the Step Up movies a lot. They are a genuine pleasure for me, so while I can deal with some of the more disappointing aspects of the second one, the complete disappointment of the third one just gets to me. They took out everything I loved about the first two movies and gave me the Bland Porridge Couple and only gave me tantalizing hints of how good it could've been with Moose and Camille before snatching it away from me and kicking me in the teeth for good measure. Just. it could've been so good! Why did you not make it good?
So I'm watching Streetdance, which is doing a damn good job of making up for Step Up 3D. British accents and hot people and amazing dancing!
Also, I can't fucking believe I talked about this shit for a whole post. Oh my God, the FEELINGS I have for this.
In the first movie, I was invested in Nora and Tyler's relationship because they seemed like real people. Tyler was a fuck-up, but he was genuine and tried to be good. Nora spent so much time trying to appear perfect, even though her life wasn't. Their lives were filled with disappointments and sorrow and triumphs, and I was with them every step of the way, rooting for them. Because on some level, I got them and where they were coming from.
In the second movie, Andie was the fuck-up with something to prove. She had a great personality, an interesting family background and supporting cast, and Moose was awesome. I loved them both, but the guy was so generic and bland that I can't even remember his name. I like Robert Hoffman, man, but this wasn't his best work. And when you're trying to sell me a love story, I can't be bored by one half of your couple. You cannot give me living beige and expect me to care. You just can't. The only thing that saved the movie for me was Andie, Moose, and the dancing, but I didn't buy into the romance the way I did with Tyler and Nora.
I was bored shitless by the third movie. The leads might as well be mannequins for all the chemistry they have together and how real they seem. You have all the usual plot points -- two people from opposite sides of the tracks meet over dance and fall in love -- but it never quite gels together for me. And they fall for each other so quickly! There's no build-up, no flirting, no romance to it; he stalks her in the club and she goes with him and boom! they fall for each other, and it's so fucking boring.
Natalie is so devoid of any real conflict that even when the big revelation about her family connections comes, I couldn't be arsed about it. Luke is just white noise as a person: you hear him talk, but nothing sinks in and eventually, you fall asleep. He's not a real person, he's a collection of personality quirks and wretched dialogue, and I was so utterly bored by his existence that I couldn't believe he was the lead. He doesn't even dance, he's a filmmaker! What the fuck, movie?
As usual, Moose saved the movie for me. His delight with the dance scene, his screw-ups with Camille, Camille herself and her shifting emotions where Moose is concerned, all of it was just wonderful and charming, and I wish the entire movie had been about them. Them and the supporting cast came across as more real than Luke and Natalie; they had more personality, they seemed to have inner lives, and I had to fast forward through all the scenes where Natalie and Luke gaze adoringly into each other's eyes because I just couldn't take it anymore.
Which sucks because I really do love the Step Up movies a lot. They are a genuine pleasure for me, so while I can deal with some of the more disappointing aspects of the second one, the complete disappointment of the third one just gets to me. They took out everything I loved about the first two movies and gave me the Bland Porridge Couple and only gave me tantalizing hints of how good it could've been with Moose and Camille before snatching it away from me and kicking me in the teeth for good measure. Just. it could've been so good! Why did you not make it good?
So I'm watching Streetdance, which is doing a damn good job of making up for Step Up 3D. British accents and hot people and amazing dancing!
Also, I can't fucking believe I talked about this shit for a whole post. Oh my God, the FEELINGS I have for this.