Step Up: All In

This fifth flick in the long-running franchise falters, maybe because of its tediously melodramatic storyline and not enough dancing—or maybe due to the absence of Channing Tatum. Here, the leading man is self-centered Sean (Ryan Guzman), who stays behind in Los Angeles when his dance group The Mobsters returns to Miami. Sean, who takes a job as a janitor in a dance studio owned by the grandparents of Moose (Adam Sevani), sees a VH1 promo for a TV reality-show dance contest called The Vortex, which is hosted by a preening, Lady Gaga-like diva (Izabella Miko). Since the prize is a coveted three-year contract at Caesar's Palace, Sean and Moose set about recruiting a new crew composed of Moose's old pal Andie (Briana Evigan), along with Hair (Chris Scott), Vladd (Chadd Smith), Monster (Luis Rosado), and Jenny Kido (Mari Koda), all dancers featured in past Step Up movies. Calling themselves LMNTRIX (pronounced “elementrix),” the group arrives in Sin City, quickly winding up on a collision course with The Mobsters and The Grim Knights, which is headed by their perennial rival, Jasper Tarik (Stephen “Stevo” Jones). Directed by former competitive ballroom dancer/music video helmer Trish Sie, Step Up: All In is formulaically predictable and bland, except for the musical numbers, which are flashy, daring, and colorful—culminating in a gigantic Cirque du Soleil-like finale featuring pyrotechnics. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Trish Sie and costar Briana Evigan, “Ryan's Favorite Dance Scenes” with optional commentary by costar Ryan Guzman (19 min,), deleted scenes (10 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is “The Vortex Dance Index” of segments (35 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes “All in with the Crew” (10 min.), “Dance Breakdown: Final Stage” (6 min.), and “Clap, Stomp, Slide: The Sounds of Battle” (4 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a narratively listless dance flick.] (S. Granger)