Jenna Dewan is new star in "Step Up"

Step Up is not the best dance movie ever made. Step Up is not the best hip-hop based movie ever made. But Step Up is the clearest indication that hip hop has crossed over, all the way over to the lighter side of cool.

Step Up is essentially a hip hop fairy tale where both main characters are white.

Of course, the greatest sign that black culture has gone mainstream is when the black characters are reduced to the supporting role and that is exactly what takes place in Step Up. It is probably also the most significant thing in a flick that is alright enough, but never steps up to being astounding.

Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Duane Addler and Melissa Rosenberg, Step Up stars Channing Tatum (Coach Carter and She's The Man) and Jenna Dewan. When done right, dance movies have a magic that is not easily approximated by other films. Whether it is the breakneck energetic moves of Beat Street, the joy of watching Fred Astaire groove, or the ecstasy of Dirty Dancing, when a movie about dancing gets it right, it struts in a whole new light.



Tags: Jenna Dewan
Channing Tatum
Step Up