step up 3d: do not see this movie on hard drugs

Step Up 3d: sequel 3, in 3d

i'm absolutely serious about the drugs thing. i wasn't even drunk, and the 3d freaked me out. if you want to turn a dancing movie into a horror movie...yes, this is how you do it. eeeyaaa, creepy.

things i didn't like about this movie:
1. the costumes. i don't know much about hip-hop culture, and i don't want to sound like a crazy old "get off the lawn with your hula hoops and soda cans" youth-hating mr. wilson-type person, but some of these costumes were just uncalled for in their ugliness. some of them were pretty okay--but you know it's bad when the hot male lead comes onscreen and for one second you're like, "hey, he actually looks vaguely attractive in what he's wearing." you know how the stuff the girl wears in breakin' is just unbelievable? it's like that feeling...but you're watching a movie that's happening now. very bizarre.
2. uh, i don't know. there were a lot of loose ends and other such objections.

...but who cares? the leads were likeable--many of them were pretty awesome actors too--the storyline was a little scattered, but cute--and there was a point at which my friend was like, "when did this become a good movie?", because the end (until the plot got rolling again) was actually kind of awesome. i mean, the group dynamic was totally adorable.

and then there was the dancing, which is, aside from fashion tips (that was irony) and watching people hang out together, the obvious reason to see this movie. i mean, the 3d was FRIGHTENING, but the dancing was AWESOME, and i enjoyed the freak out of it. i don't think this film was attempting to be edgy. there wasn't a racial or class conflict in sight, and i don't think closeted sexual tension between the male leads counts as an edge in a film designed for the delugation of preteens cuz come on what movie aimed toward that demographic doesn't have such stuff?

actually, now that i'm thinking about it, the lack of a racial or class conflict kind of worries me. i mean, racial and class conflicts usually come to pretty fatuous conclusions in dance movies, but at least the dance movie is a ground on which said conflicts get played out. is this an indicator of the fact that america is finally truly post-racial? or is post-racial america a place where we can't even fantasize about resolving class and race conflicts?

or are there other, more intelligently expressed and explored ways to understand the meaning of the lack of race-class conflict in step up 3d? let's think about that one.

...

oh well, i guess there are always high school sports movies.