1. You never knew a day could be so great.
On Friday, August 8, 2014, the date of Step Up: All In's theatrical release, BuzzFeed staff writers Katie Heaney and Arianna Rebolini watched the four previous Step Up movies in a row — before going to see the fifth in the theater. Heaney had seen 1—4 previously (some of them several times); Rebolini was new to the franchise, and would experience it entirely in one day.
The marathon ran from 10:30 AM to 9:30 PM, and it was great. Below, their reflections.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum have EXCELLENT chemistry.
Which is great, because now they are married! Tatum and Dewan-Tatum met on the set of Step Up, so it's especially rewarding to rewatch the movie now, years later, and kind of watch them fall in love.
KH: All I want is to be lifted the way that Tyler [Tatum] lifts Nora [Dewan-Tatum]. Unfortunately I am much too tall. It's just not a realistic thing for me to hope for.
AR: This is making me think the ability to lift me like that is, like, a qualification, in a boyfriend? Which is crazy! But, they should be able to.
Touchstone Pictures / Via giphy.com
But in rewatching all of the movies, you'll be surprised how little dancing there is in the original Step Up.
The movie that began this illustrious franchise devotes, by far, the least amount of screen time to actual dance numbers. Sure, there are training montages — and at least one killer (if illogical, but who cares) choreographed club scene — but it's much more dedicated to actual plot development, the characters, and their relationships.
AR: I feel like this is most apparent when you see them in a row, because you're so bombarded with these amazing and over-the-top numbers in the sequels that the first movie ends up seeming quaint. But the dancing is obviously impressive! Just maybe not as memorable?
KH: Yeah, I mean, I think it's hard to judge this accurately now. Because at the time, it felt like the dancing in the first was so great, and there was so much of it. We just had no idea what was coming. I do think that the "battling crew" structure (absent from the first movie as well as the fourth) is the best, most exciting format for the movies, rather than the "audition" format of this one. I still think, though, that Tatum is one of the most enigmatic dancers in the series.
Touchstone Pictures / Via basketballsleeprepeat.tumblr.com
Every Step Up lead is, in some respect, an orphan.
Step Up's Tyler Gage is an orphan who lives with a foster family, as is Step Up 2 The Streets' Andie West. Step Up: 3D's Luke is an orphan whose parents left him with the famous dance loft/sanctuary he must fight to preserve, while Natalie rebels against unseen, distant upper-class parents. In Step Up: Revolution, the female lead, Emily, is raised by a single father (against whom she rebels), while Sean's parentage is unclear, but he's shown living with his adult sister.
KH: This is a very Disney thing, the orphan protagonist. I think it just helps establish the leads' desperation, and their drive to prove something. Otherwise, you'd kind of be like, "What's the big deal? Sign up for a Dancing Divas class. Not everyone can be a pro." It also helps establish the class struggle built into all of these movies.
AR: Definitely. It also pumps up this "All I've got are my moves!" idea of desperation that is, I think, clearest in Step Up 3D. How are they going to pay their rent? Where will they sleep? WHERE WILL THEY DANCE? But it's funny because it is literally every lead. Like, when Natalie says Luke's parents must be so proud of what he's done to the place, I didn't even need to hear his response. Uh, they're dead, Natalie! Duh!
Touchstone Pictures / Via tumblr.com
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