Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun dance routines are best part of otherwise boring movie.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Step Up 3-D
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 20 kid reviews
Kids say that this movie is a fantastic choice for those interested in dance, featuring incredible choreography and a motivational storyline about pursuing dreams despite life's challenges. While it includes some mild language and a few mature themes, most find it suitable and inspirational for tweens and up due to its positive messages and impressive performances.
- good dancing
- positive messages
- suitable for tweens
- inspirational story
- enjoyable for dancers
- mild language
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
When Moose (Adam G. Sevani) and his best friend, Camille (Alyson Stoner), arrive for their freshman year at New York University in downtown Manhattan, Moose follows a man with a cool pair of sneakers and ends up beating a popular street dancer in a battle. His surprising win earns the attention of Luke (Rick Malambri), who invites Moose to join his "Pirates" crew of dancers, who all practice and room together in an urban dance commune. Moose agrees and tries to juggle his college responsibilities with his new dance family, which also includes a slightly mysterious woman named Natalie (Sharni Vinson). The Pirates must win a series of dance competitions in order to raise enough money to save the nearly foreclosed building they call home.
Is It Any Good?
Let's start off with the dance moves, which are undeniably entertaining. Anyone who enjoys So You Think You Can Dance will love all of the 3-D-shot dance sequences, and all of the crews have amazing skills. But any time the movie's focus shifts from dancing to an actual story or dialogue, STEP UP 3-D flails under the pressure of laughable dialogue, predictable plot development, and obvious story holes. When Natalie tells Luke she's been in London for a few years, the natural follow-up should be "what were you doing there?" or "what brought you back home"; instead, the subject is changed entirely. Later, when Natalie invites Luke to a party and it turns out to be a black-tie affair, Luke and Moose should immediately wonder why someone they thought had no family is hosting a rich-girl affair, but instead they suddenly decide to seal the caterers' black jackets.
Kids and dance lovers may be more forgiving audiences than those who don't care about thrilling tangoes or the allure of amazing sneakers. Romance-wise, Moose and Camille's relationship is more interesting -- albeit "best friends who fall in love" formulaic. Their story of boy-girl BFFs, coupled with Sevani and Stoner's charm, make that subplot satisfying. The rest of the dancer-actors were clearly hired for their dance skills rather their acting prospects.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's message -- that it's possible to follow your dreams if you work hard enough. Do you think that's true?
For a good chunk of the movie, Luke wants to Moose to put dancing first. Is that a positive message?
Is Natalie and Julien's sibling relationship healthy? How is it portrayed?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 6, 2010
- On DVD or streaming : December 21, 2010
- Cast : Adam G. Sevani , Alyson Stoner , Harry Shum Jr. , Sharni Vinson
- Director : Jon M. Chu
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Chinese Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Pansexual Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Summit Entertainment
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Arts
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : brief strong language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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