Step Up 2: The Streets

Step Up 2: The Streets
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jon M. Chu
Produced by	Adam Shankman Jennifer Gibgot Anne Fletcher
Written by	Toni Ann Johnson Karen Barna Duane Adler
Starring	Briana Evigan Robert Hoffman Adam G. Sevani Will Kemp Cassie Ventura
Music by	Aaron Zigman (composer/conductor)
Cinematography	Max Malkin
Editing by	Andrew Marcus
Studio	Touchstone Pictures Summit Entertainment Offspring Entertainment
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates	February 14, 2008 (2008-02-14)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$150,816,700[1]

Step Up 2: The Streets is the 2008 sequel to the 2006 film Step Up from Touchstone Pictures. It was directed by Jon M. Chu, and choreographed by Jamal Sims, Hi-Hat (Bring It On) and Dave Scott (Stomp the Yard). Patrick Wachsberger and Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment produced with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment and Anne Fletcher, the director of the original film. It was followed by Step Up 3D which was released in 2010.

Plot

The film is set in Baltimore, Maryland. It follows the fictional Andie West (Briana Evigan) as she pursues her big dream of becoming a street dancer. Her mother died of cancer when Andie was 16; she now lives with her mother's best friend, Sarah (her guardian), but in reality, Andie feels like she does not belong anywhere. Although she is doing poorly at school, it is her dream for dancing that brings something special into her life. She trains with her dance crew, the "410" (pronounced four-one-oh, as in the area code for Baltimore), to keep the title of the illegal competition, 'The Streets.' Sarah is aware of the crime and harassment by the 410 and decides to send Andie to live with her Aunt Alice in Texas.

Tyler (Channing Tatum) is like a big brother to Andie (though the film makes it clear that they are not blood related). Tyler is first seen when he meets Andie at a local dance club, The Dragon. He tries to persuade Andie to audition for the Maryland School of the Arts (MSA), where Andie has to compete for a place, thinking it will help her life as it did his. Tyler decides to battle her for it. Tyler wins the battle and the two head back to Andie's house where Tyler asks Sarah to let her join MSA. Sarah eventually agrees, and Tyler leaves Andie to audition at MSA while he goes on tour with Nora. Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman) persuades the school director (his brother) Blake (Will Kemp) to recruit Andie after seeing her audition. When Andie's studies come before the crew, the 410 kick her out. Andie and Chase form a new crew with help from many people Chase knows at the school, all of not accepted as who they are, including Andie's new friend Moose (Adam G. Sevani). Chase has a copied key to the studio and the crew secretly practices their routine late at night when the school is empty. They perform at the local dance club, but are rejected and kicked out. Andie's friend Missy Serrano (Danielle Polanco) joins the crew after going out of the 410 following the event, as she is disgusted by the crowd's reaction. Missy tells the crew that the only way to enter The Streets is to first pull a prank and post it on the Internet to show that the crew is entering the competition. Wanting revenge for being humiliated before, Chase decides that their prank will be to make a fool out of Tuck, the leader of the 410.

The crew goes to a family barbecue at Missy's house. Sophie (MSA student who happens to have a crush on Chase) (Cassie Ventura), tags along. She begins to develop a crush on Moose after salsa dancing with him.

The 410 doesn't like the fact that they have a new crew to compete with so they warn Andie's group to stay out of The Streets or there will be consequences. When Tuck finds Chase, he assaults him for his prank and warns him to stay away from The Streets and Andie. Chase comes into school the next day badly bruised and hurt. On top of that, the dance studio has been trashed by the 410 the previous night. Director Collins decides that he will not allow anyone from the school to be involved in illegal competitions. He expels Andie from MSA for her involvement with the Streets competition after a tip-off from Sophie. When asked if there were any other students involved, Andie does not tell him about her crew.

When Sarah hears the news of Andie's expulsion, Andie tries to explain, but Sarah refuses to listen, telling her that she has had enough of her behavior and that Andie now must go to live with her Aunt Alice in Texas. Just when Andie is packing her bags to leave, she receives a text message from Missy that The Streets is on that night - the same night as the MSA fundraiser. Along with Andie, her whole crew gets the text message. They decide to ditch the MSA fundraiser (except for Moose) and instead compete in The Streets. When Sarah hears about what Andie did to protect her crew, allows Andie to continue living with her and lets her compete at The Streets with her crew. Chase also leaves the fundraiser hoping to win back Andie.

When Collins notices that his students are gone, he questions Sophie. Moose tells him that he is in the crew and where they are. Moose takes both Collins and Sophie to the place; they are just in time for the crew's performance. The director sees them and he realizes that The Streets he was hearing and thinking about, is in fact a legitimate form of artistic expression. He accepts Andie into MSA again and tells Moose that he was in the wrong department.

To Moose's surprise, he gets kissed by Sophie. With Andie's crew being supportive friends and her education now secured, the film finds its optimistic ending - a passionate kiss between Andie and Chase.

Cast

• Briana Evigan as Andie West, the Main Protagonist.
• Robert Hoffman as Chase Collins, the hero, he falls for Andie
• Adam Sevani as Robert "Moose" Alexander III, is a talented dancer who is best friends with Andie
• Will Kemp as Blake Collins, the director of MSA and Chase's brother
• Cassie Ventura as Sophie Donovan, Chase's ex-girlfriend who later falls in love with Moose
• Danielle Polanco as Missy Serrano, one of Andie's best friends who eventually quits the 410
• Christopher Scott as Hair
• Luis Rosado as Monster
• Harry Shum, Jr. as Cable
• LaJon Dantzler as Smiles
• Janelle Cambridge as Fly
• Mari Koda as Jenny Kido
• Sonja Sohn as Sarah, Andie's legal guardian. She took Andie in after her mother died.
• Black Thomas as Tuck, the leader of the 410 and the main antagonist
• Telisha Shaw as Felicia, Andie's best friend
• BooG!e as DJ Sand (uncredited)
• Channing Tatum as Tyler Gage (cameo), a skilled but troubled dancer in his teens

Choreographers

• Dave Scott^[2]
• Tyree Johnson
• Arthur Hickman

Reception

Box office

At the U.S. Box office, the film opened at #3 and earned $18,908,826 in its opening weekend. As of August 4, 2008 Step Up 2 the Streets have grossed $58,017,783 in domestic box office and $92,798,917 in other parts of the world, bringing a worldwide total of $150,816,700,^[3] outperforming its predecessor.

Critical response

The film was met with positive reviews from its audience but mixed to negative reviews from film critics. It received a rating of 25% on Rotten Tomatoes; on the website it says, "There's a kinetic appeal to the handsome cast and their smooth moves, but everything else about Step Up 2 the Streets is been there, danced that." It also holds a rating of 50/100 on metacritic signifying mixed or average reviews.^[4]

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 15, 2008.

Special features

• Through Fresh Eyes - Take a look behind the scenes at the making of Step Up 2 the Streets. You’ll also meet the choreographers and dancers who bring it all to life
• Outlaws Of Hip-Hop: Meet The "410" - An exclusive profile of the film’s real life underground hip hop dance crew
• Robert Hoffman video prank
• Deleted scenes and bloopers
• Full dance routine from the JabbaWockeeZ and West Coast Riders
• 7 music videos

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - Low
2. Missy Elliott - Ching-a-Ling
3. Cherish feat. Yung Joc - Killa
4. Plies feat. Akon - Hypnotized
5. Brit & Alex - Let It Go
6. Cassie - Is It You?
7. T-Pain - Church

Soundtrack

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Step Up 2: The Streets

• Step Up 2: The Streets at the Internet Movie Database
• Step Up 2: The Streets at allmovie
• Step Up 2: The Streets at Box Office Mojo
• Step Up 2: The Streets at Rotten Tomatoes