{"id":1066629,"date":"2026-01-21T07:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T07:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=496609"},"modified":"2026-01-21T07:40:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T07:40:53","slug":"the-wicked-directors-first-movies-now-streaming-have-even-better-musical-sequences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/the-wicked-directors-first-movies-now-streaming-have-even-better-musical-sequences\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wicked director\u2019s first movies, now streaming, have even better musical sequences"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Step Up is more than just the franchise that minted Channing Tatum as a star. It\u2019s more, even, than a franchise that gave us a gem of a sequel subhed. It is also the movie that gave us Jon M. Chu, director of Crazy Rich Asians<\/a>, In the Heights<\/a>, <\/em>and the recent box-office smash hit <\/em>(and Polygon\u2019s No. 17 movie of 2024<\/a>) Wicked<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Step Up 2: The Streets<\/em> was Chu\u2019s first directed feature, and he\u2019d return to the franchise with Step Up 3D<\/em>. And despite his later, grander musical work, it\u2019s the Step Up franchise that has some of my favorite Chu-directed musical sequences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you have seen one Step Up movie \u2014 or any dance movie in general, to be honest \u2014 you are familiar with the plot. And neither Step Up 2: The Streets<\/em> nor Step Up 3D<\/em> will move the dial much; as the critical consensus (topping out on Rotten Tomatoes at 46% with the third movie) can attest, if you\u2019ve seen one, you\u2019ve likely seen them all. A dancer caught between two worlds, forced to conform but dreaming of something they feel deeper. Ultimately they find the fusion of two forms, and (gasp!) win the competition\/showcase\/emotional battle they\u2019ve been fighting. But that\u2019s all to say: We\u2019re not watching for the plot. We\u2019re here for the dance, the grind, the titular stepping up<\/em> (to the streets or otherwise).\u00a0<\/p>\n

And on this front, Chu more than delivers. His latest musical offerings are big and flashy \u2014 examples of what movies can do to truly adapt<\/em> musical theater, translating the stage\u2019s energy into the filmic language. For Chu, this often means swirling cameras, fast cuts<\/a>, and ambitiously staged numbers<\/a>. By contrast, Step Up 2<\/em> and 3<\/em> are more in line with older Hollywood dance sequence traditions: long takes, to better emphasize the skill and keep the flow going. All focus on the fancy footwork.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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