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STEP UP 3DMovie Reviews
Drama about a tight-knit group of street dancers in New York City who join a competition against the world's best hip hop dancers. Cast:Adam G. Sevani, Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner, Keith "Remedy" StallworthDirector:Jon M. ChuRelease Date:August 6, 2010DVD Release:December 21, 2010From:TouchstoneRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 47 minIn 3D
Step Up 3D played to fair reviews. • Jason Anderson wrote in the Toronto Star, "The acting is wooden, the dialogue is bland and the story is ridden with the hoariest of clichés. Does any of that matter? Of course not." • And Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "...puts some very good dancers into some very silly situations... But it's not without genuine charm..." More Reviews Below...
Step Up 3D Positive Reviews (32 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: WEAK(cg) "The film is about dancing, much of which is incredible. Too bad the visual effects meant to make the action more dynamic only obscure the moves."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 118 words, 08/05/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...lacks tension, and the C-list stars hardly shine. Still, the aggressive, 3-D-shot choreography brings the hip-hop scene right into the audience's lap -- and that's a kick."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 63 words, 08/05/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...isn't, in dramatic terms, a very good movie, but it's the first in a while to use 3-D as more than a marketing ploy; it points toward an original way of making a musical."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 228 words, 08/06/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Rhythmically, athletically and energetically, 'Step Up 3D' does not disappoint.... In the story department, however, 'Step Up 3D' trips up. The plot is lackluster..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 526 words, 08/04/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "The dancers may be skilled, but their work has no meaning in terms of the story -- it's pure spectacle, and numbingly repetitive spectacle at that."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 08/06/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "An exhilarating summer treat for all ages... the use of very sharp 3-D images resists mere gimmickry... the film's four appealing stars act as well as they dance."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 367 words, 08/06/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...has insipid characters, straight-line plotting and a touching but inept effort to make this city look like Sodom and/or Gomorrah and/or the actual New York of 1977."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 08/06/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...boasts a generous exuberance... It requires only that you set your expectations correctly and that you don't go into it with a grudge against dance on screen."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 08/06/10
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "The acting is wooden, the dialogue is bland and the story is ridden with the hoariest of clichés. Does any of that matter? Of course not."(See all of Jason Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 544 words, 08/06/10
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Meant to take the scrappy and often ingeniously choreographed dance sequences to the next level, the result is stalled between floors..."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 08/04/10
Jennie Punter, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Slow, romantic scenes (especially close-ups and kisses) are so in-your-face they actually lose intimacy; but the dance scenes are inventive and pop out..."(See all of Jennie Punter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 08/06/10
KEY CITIES (9 Reviews)
Ylan Q. Mui, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Boy meets girl. Girl breaks his heart. Everybody dances it out and, oh yeah, competes in a high-stakes dance battle against a villainous rival crew..."(See all of Ylan Q. Mui's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 08/06/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...shamelessly piles on the corn, stacking it so high that it's bound to tilt over and collapse. But at least it goes tumbling down in three dimensions."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 518 words, 08/06/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "There's a wild, animalistic joy to it that's irresistible and atones for whatever's going on in the screenplay.... what's going on is: nothing."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 08/06/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "Watching this movie in 3-D is very much like sticking one's head in a blender and hitting 'pulse'.... Every now and then, 'Step Up 3D' breaks out of its morass..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 08/06/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...puts some very good dancers into some very silly situations: a dance battle in a men's room; a mysterious masked ball... But it's not without genuine charm..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 252 words, 08/06/10
Loey Lockerby, Detroit News: MODERATE(cg) "The actors were clearly hired for their dancing ability, and the whole movie has the feel (and even the fashions) of something from the '80s' 'Breakin'/Beat Street' era."(See all of Loey Lockerby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 348 words, 08/06/10
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The characters are hardly three-dimensional, but the actors who play them seem to have no bones in their staggeringly flexible bodies."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 08/06/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Michelle Orange, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "Meant to take the scrappy and often ingeniously choreographed dance sequences to the next level, the result is stalled between floors..."(See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 08/04/10
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "The whole execution is so wobbly and hoky, it borders on inadvertent camp. Still, the lithe bodies and cool moves do keep you on your toes."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 162 words, 08/12/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...an extra jolt of kinetic energy, but no amount of technological razzle-dazzle or energetic hoofing can cover up laughably awful dialogue, painful plotting..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 362 words, 08/05/10
William Goss, Cinematical: POOR "...the exceedingly melodramatic plot developments that lurch forth in between the often striking dance sequences nearly bring this second sequel to a grinding halt."(See all of William Goss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 08/06/10
Simon Abrams, Slant: POOR(cg) "...tries to keep its viewer abreast of what its characters are thinking and feeling every minute of its formulaic and cliché-clogged 107-minute runtime."(See all of Simon Abrams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 744 words, 08/03/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "The dancers may be skilled, but their work has no meaning in terms of the story -- it's pure spectacle, and numbingly repetitive spectacle at that."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 08/06/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "An exhilarating summer treat for all ages... the use of very sharp 3-D images resists mere gimmickry... the film's four appealing stars act as well as they dance."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 367 words, 08/06/10
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: MODERATE "A reliable guilty pleasure takes a dramatic step backward but a technological step forward... boasts the series' flashiest moves and klutziest script yet..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 999 words, 08/03/10
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "While several of the dance sequences admittedly pack a visual pop, the added dimension does the hokey scripting and some of the acting no favors..."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 08/04/10
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "An exhilarating summer treat for all ages... the use of very sharp 3-D images resists mere gimmickry... the film's four appealing stars act as well as they dance."(See all of Kevin Thomas's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 367 words, 08/06/10
Stephen Holden, New York Times: FAIR "The dancers may be skilled, but their work has no meaning in terms of the story -- it's pure spectacle, and numbingly repetitive spectacle at that."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 08/06/10
18.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Step Up 3D's reviews are separated by an average 18.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Step Up 3D (32 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Step Up 3D's reviews cover 57.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 14,765 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 461 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Step Up 3D Coverage, Volume & Length (32 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 10.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Step Up 3D's reviews on average broke 10.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Step Up 3D's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Step Up 3D (32 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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