70. Andie vs. Sean (Step Up All In)
Andie and Sean have barely known each other for 60 seconds before they battle for supremacy, and even in a series founded on enjoyably forced set-ups for dance numbers this feels like a stretch. Even Moose is forced to shout, “Does this always have to end up in a big, giant dance battle?”
69. Emily’s Angry Daddy Dance (Step Up Revolution)
“Either you’re a professional dancer by the end of the summer, or you come home to Cleveland and work for me.” After receiving the world’s dumbest ultimatum from her father, Emily works out the emotional kinks with a strong but short solo routine.
68. The Junior Cotillion Cha Cha Rehearsal (Step Up All In)
Adding shorties to the mix usually works wonders in the Step Up movies, but Step Up 3D simply did it better. Still, it’s fun to watch LMNTRIX dance until they literally just fall asleep mid-routine.
67. Planning the Museum Job (Step Up Revolution)
The Mob plans their performance art like an elaborate heist – while dancing, naturally – but the momentum of this sequence is more important than the actual moves.
66. The Mob’s Last Stand Rehearsal (Step Up Revolution)
Same as before, but slightly better, if only because their graffiti artist speaks – albeit unceremoniously – for the first and only time in the series.
65. The MSA Prank (Step Up 2 The Streets)
The MSA have to upload a video of an elaborate prank to YouTube in order to get an invitation to The Streets, and they opt to humiliate Andie’s former 410 Crew to get themselves noticed. Kudos to their ingenuity and to the 410’s hilarious response (“Yo! Why my crib smell like Funyuns, broccoli and ball sweat!”), but points must be deducted for videotaping themselves committing a felony and showing off their faces in the process.
64. Who Are The Mob? (Step Up Revolution)
Celebrity cameos from Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly punctuate this montage of rapidly escalating YouTube hits, highlighting just how ridiculous the whole plot of Step Up Revolution really is. It’s fun, but sheesh, they didn’t need to remind us that The Mob only need to get 10,000,000 hits to win the contest. They could have just filmed a sneezing cat and raked in the cash.
63. What the Hell is a “Pique?” (Step Up)
Nora tries to teach Tyler what a “pique” is, but this whole sequence is just an excuse to get them into an “almost kissing” position. It works, it’s sexy, but there are better moments in the original Step Up.
62. The Step Up 3D Credits Montage (Step Up 3D)
The rainbow swirls of the Step Up 3D credits sequence keep the momentum going even as the names of the cast and crew pop up in the frame, trying – and failing – to distract attention from just how amazing the dancers in this movie really are.
61. The Start Your Own Crew Montage (Step Up 2 The Streets)
Step Up 2 The Streets films the formation of a dance crew the same way any other movie would depict the formation of a world class team of bank robbers. It’s got a great pace and establishes many of the characters who will stick around through the final film in the series (so far), but there admittedly could be a lot more dancing in it.
