Summary
- The Step Up franchise evolved into a successful series despite poor reviews, thanks to its impressive dance sequences and crowd-pleasing formula.
- The franchise consists of six movies, with the most recent installment being considered a spinoff rather than part of the main series.
- While the franchise has taken a break from the big screen, a TV series titled Step Up: High Water debuted in 2018 and ran for three seasons.
The more the Step Up franchise evolved, the harder it became to track which order to watch them in. The original movie was the one that gave audiences a preview of the movie star Channing Tatum would evolve into, with the 2006 romantic drama casting him as a troubled youth who discovers a talent for dance. The film was a surprise success, and while Tatum soon departed to bigger things, the Step Up movie franchise itself would prove oddly robust.
There are six entries thus far, though the most recent movie installment is considered more of a spinoff than part of the main franchise. While they largely scored poor reviews, their impressively choreographed dance sequences and crowd-pleasing formula made the Step Up movies a success. Based on box-office numbers alone, even the lowest-grossing outing was a solid hit, but it appears the series is taking a long break from the big screen.
Step Up Movies In Release Order
The 2000s were a busy period for hit dance movies, with the genre spawning the likes of Save the Last Dance, Antonio Banderas' Take the Lead and - of course - the High School Musical movies. The first Step Up fit neatly into that niche, with the combination of dance and romance being enough to lure viewers into theaters. It probably helps that Tatum had great chemistry with co-star Jenna Dewan, with the two later marrying in real life; they separated in 2018. Tatum returned for a cameo in Step Up 2, and the series was soon handed off to a new batch of characters.
The Step Up films are resolutely targeting a PG-13 crowd, and while they never earned much critical respect, their grosses steadily slid upward. While the fifth entry was billed as something of The Expendables of the entire saga - as it brought back most of the cast from previous entries - it was still lacking many characters, with the most notable absence being Tatum's Tyler. In addition to the movies, a TV series titled Step Up: High Water debuted in 2018 and ran for three seasons.
|
Movies |
Release Year |
|---|---|
|
Step Up |
2006 |
|
Step Up 2: The Streets |
2008 |
|
Step Up 3D |
2010 |
|
Step Up Revolution |
2012 |
|
Step Up: All In |
2014 |
|
Step Up China |
2019 |
Step Up Movies In Chronological Order Of Events
Step Up (2006)
Box Office: $114 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Cast: Channing Tatum (Tyler Gage), Jenna Dewan (Nora), Mario (Miles), Damaine Radcliff (Mac), Alyson Stoner (Camille), Drew Sidora (Lucille), Rachel Griffiths (Director Gordon), De'Shawn Washington (Skinny), Josh Henderson (Brett)
Directed by Anne Fletcher (Hocus Pocus 2), this first installment follows Tatum's Tyler Gage who, after vandalizing an art school, is sentenced to community service there. He soon meets talented ballet dancer Nora, and after events conspire to make them dance partners, they fall in love. Step Up established the formula of the series, and while it lacks the glitz and flash of later outings, it's a simple tale, well told. Tatum also displays a flare for dancing that would really pay off when it came to the Magic Mike movies.
Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)
Box Office: $151 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Cast: Briana Evigan (Andie), Robert Hoffman (Chase), Will Kemp (Blake), Harry Shum, Jr. (Cable), Cassie Ventura (Sophie), Adam Sevani (Moose), Christopher Scott (Hair), Black Thomas (Tucker), Telisha Shaw (Felicia), Sonja Sohn (Sarah), Channing Tatum (Tyler)
Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) took the reins for the first sequel The Streets (and the next entry too), which follows dance student Andie as she makes her way through an elite school. She and some of the other oddballs there later team up to take part in a dance battle, with Tatum popping in for a brief cameo to help Andie out.
Step Up 2 has one of the stronger narratives of the series, and introduced fan favorites like Moose. Needless to say, the dance sequences are the real draw, with Chu infusing them with real energy and style. On rankings of the best entries in the franchise, The Streets tends to rate fairly high among franchise devotees.
Step Up 3D (2010)
Box Office: $159 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes
Cast: Sharni Vinson (Natalie), Adam Sevani (Moose), Rick Malambri (Luke), Alyson Stoner (Camille), Christopher Scott (Hair), Harry Shum Jr. (Cable), Joe Slaughter (Julien), Stephen "tWitch" Boss (Jason), Keith Stallworth (Jacob), Chadd "Madd Chadd" Smith (Vladd)
Released during an era where 3D movies were all the rage, the third film at least made good use of the format. Step Up 3D follows series returnees Moose and Camille as they go to New York, where they join up with a team of dancers that includes Natalie (Your Next's Sharni Vinson) as they face off with another crew. The story is strictly by the numbers and the central romance lacks any real sizzle, but once again, the setpieces impress. Step Up 3D also proved to be the highest earner of the franchise.
Step Up Revolution (2012)
Box Office: $140 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 39 minutes
Cast: Ryan Guzman (Sean Asa), Kathryn McCormick (Emily), Peter Gallagher (William), Misha Gabriel (Eddy), Stephen "tWitch" Boss (Jason), Megan Boone (Claire), Adam Sevani (Moose), Chadd "Madd Chadd" Smith (Vladd), Tommy Dewey (Trip), Cleopatra Coleman (DJ Penelope)
Revolution moved the action to Miami and follows a gang of dancers known as "The Mob" as they try to prevent developers from tearing down their neighborhood. In a plot that feels like something out of a '80s teen movie, the main character Emily falls in love with The Mob's leader Sean, and they have to convince Emily's business tycoon father not to rip the neighborhood down through the power of dance.
Step Up Revolution and All In are currently streaming on Max.
The story and performances of Revolution leave much to be desired and some nicely choreographed sequences aside, it's one of the weaker sequels. The critical reception to the sequel and lower grosses began to signal it was probably time to wrap the series up too.
Step Up: All In (2014)
Box Office: $86 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Cast: Ryan Guzman (Sean), Briana Evigan (Andie), Misha Gabriel (Eddy), Stephen "tWitch" Boss (Jason), Adam Sevani (Moose), Alyson Stoner (Camille), Chadd "Madd Chadd" Smith (Vladd), Izabella Miko (Alexxa), Stephen "Stevo" Jones (Jasper), Parris Goebel (Violet), Christopher Scott (Hair)
A real Avengers: Endgame moment for the series came with 2014's All In, where many - though not all - of the major characters from past movies came together for a victory lap. The story involves the returnees uniting as a crew to take part in a competition called The Vortex, which would earn them a Las Vegas spot. The dance setpieces are great, and there's a real sense the producers knew All In would be the end of the series (at least for the time being), but more effort in the actual story and dialogue would have been appreciated.
Step Up China (2019)
Box Office: N/A | Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Cast: Meng Meiqi (Xiao Fe), Owodog Chuang (Te She), Dany Lee (Ni Si), Jingxing Huang (Iron Monkey), Zack Roberts (52 Killer), Jade Chynoweth (USA Phantom Dancer)
One of the more obscure outings in the franchise is 2019's Step Up China (AKA Step Up: Year of the Dance). Actor and stuntman Ron Yuan (Black Dynamite) helmed this spinoff, which feels a little more action-driven than the rest of the saga. Predictably, the story is fairly generic and involves dancers from different backgrounds learning to work together, but again it's the setpieces that matter. These are at least pulled off with verve, but Step Up China is typically ranked the lowest of the series - and with good reason.