Step Up 2 retains much of the superficial facade of the original movie, with the setting in the same elite school, only with a different cohort. from what we've seen in the first movie, those snobby arty farty dance kids no longer hog the spotlight, as it is firmly on a group of misfits who are here to replace the loss of the previous two leads Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum, although the latter did land a guest appearance to cement the excuse for a sequel, as well as to pass on the troubled teen mantle to Andie (Briana Evigan).
whatever troubles these teens have, it's all secondary to the purpose of making the movie. sure, you have the outcast who don't look right and get prejudiced against, a typical younger brother (Robert Hoffman) trying to step out of the shadows of his more illustrious brother who's now school director. all the one dimensional characters aside, the main draw is still undoubtedly the street dancing moves.
the title says everything you need about this movie. it is cliche. this movie is worth the price of admission for one very simple reason - the best dance sequences put on film. my jaws was on the floor repeatedly, and my smiles got so silly that my cheeks still hurt a day later. it isn't just the final set-piece that stuns either. there are countless little sequences through the movie and each one is more impressive than the last. the level of control, the timing, and the absolute precision these dancers evidence is what really makes the visuals pop. and they do.
with all of the superb dancing on earlier scenes, i was prepared for the final sequence to disappoint, figuring they'd blown it. well, not at all. the dance competition is full of great new materials that could go on for twice the length and still be short. one visual that will stay with you long after the film has ended is of a solo guy moving his hands magician's apprentice style, and all of the dancers who are laying on the ground around him, popping into the air like splashing waves and he's only 15! another one that remains vivid is the movement of Robert Hoffman and Briana Evigan who danced to the beat of "bounce".
i was very impressed with the choreography and the actors who danced their parts. there are plenty of set pieces for one to gawk at. they made dancing look so easy and natural. im sure everyone else who's seen the movie left the theatre wishing their movements are as fluid and confidence just as high as them. i do.
there is nothing theological, or political, or philosophical about this movie at all. but that's not what i went for. i went so i could watch gorgeous people do some unbelievable dance on the screen and enjoy a cheesy plot to go along with it. Yes, I went to watch this movie and i enjoyed it. you should too. dancers would enjoy this movie. i did and im not even one.
the one eye candy that i was drooling at throughout the show ;)))
lol. dont they just look good together?
the final dance which leaves u asking and wishing for more!
chunning tatum, the lead from step up made a short guest appearance in the beginning of the movie
The Water Horse - Legend of the Deep
based on the novel by author Dick King-Smith, the waterhorse is a story set in Scotland during World War II. all focus is on Angus (Alex Etel), a young boy who pines for his sailor dad, away with the war who discovered an unusual and mysterious large egg at Loch Ness while day dreaming about the water he both longs for and fears. when the egg hatches to reveal a dinosaur-like creature, Angus finds that he has a unique pet - a mythical "water horse," which he names Crusoe.
complicating matters are Crusoe's alarming growth rate and soldiers stationed near the lake, factors that make it very tricky to keep the friendly beastie a secret. keeping the creature as a pet becomes increasingly problematic, as it grows huge very fast. the story proceeds to tell us how Crusoe strikes up a surprisingly believable relationship with Angus, providing the heart of this beautifully photographed story.
i would say this is a family likable film. kids will like it. for me, the plot does contain climax that gets me on the edge of my seat. i wouldnt say its not worth the price of admission but should u decide to give it a miss, its also ok. not much of a loss there. so i leave it up to you to decide. haha
The SpiderWick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles is a fantasy adventure for the child in all of us. peculiar things start to happen the moment the Grace family (Jared, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory and their mom) leave New York and move into the secluded old house owned by their great, great uncle Arthur Spiderwick.
they’ve moved due to the parents’ impending divorce, and Jared, hit especially hard by his father’s departure, acts out against his family when not snooping around the mysterious house. unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames Jared.
it doesn’t take Jared long to discover Spiderwick’s attic, stuffed with creepy crawlies and hosting a very large, very mysterious book. the book, of course, is the Spiderwick Chronicles, the first-ever field guide to the magical realm, compiled by Spiderwick before his mysterious disappearance 80 years earlier.
he ignores a warning on the outside not to open the book and immediately raises the hackles of the house “brownie” Thimbletack, an elfin little thing. Thimbletack explains that opening the book has reawakened the goblins who live in the forest, and their master Mulgrath will stop at nothing to get his hands on the powerful secrets inside the book.
a circle of protection erected around the house by Spiderwick keeps the family safe inside it, but when Mulgrath gets his hands on a few key pages of the book, it’s a race against time before the circle is broken and the family must fight for their lives. Jared, Simon, and Mallory go on a hunt for Spiderwick’s daughter, Lucinda, who was unfairly locked in a mental institution after her father’s disappearance, and try to find Spiderwick himself in order to discover how to keep the book protected forever. what follows is how the siblings battled with the goblins, rode a griffin and got swept up by fairies.
personally, i think it takes a little while getting started and it doesn’t quite reach the emotional climax it’s going for. actually there isnt really a climax to begin with. just when i was expecting the kids to really dish out a whopping to get rid of Mulgrath after all the build up, he just fell from a building. but he didnt die because of that fall! he transformed into a bird who was devoured by a pig looking character. and thats how the story ended! definitely not a good one.
i guess the only good thing about this film is the main lead, Freddie Highmore's acting. he was the cute child actor who played opposite Johnny Depp as the lead in Charlie and the Chocolate factory. in The Spiderwick Chronicles he delivers no less. he’s so good, they had to have him play 2 characters (he plays twin brothers in the movie). here’s the thing, i didn’t realize it was him playing both parts until after the looking at the credits.
it was done SO well that I just assumed it was just another child actor playing the other part. that’s how visually brilliant the two separate parts were handled. I didn’t even know it was being done. This kid just sells it so much so that if ever this movie turns out to be a hit, it has got to be because of him. not the plot, not anyone else.
to conclude, spiderwick's chronicles is a fantasy classic that stretches one imagination literally because the plot isnt really great. thank goodness i watched it free. lol so if u have got spare cash, u need to kill time or u really have nothing else to watch, then catch this. if not, i advise u to stay away. step up 2 is definitely more worth the money!
Let love be the one to knock at ur door ♥♥♥
♥♥♥ True love is worth waiting for
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