REVIEWS
StreetDance 2 REVIEWED BY MARK ADAMS
StreetDance heads to mainland Europe in this vibrant sequel which fuses salsa to the already energetic street-dance mix and comes up with a bit of fun and frothy 3D entertainment that is aimed fair-and-square at the dance-loving family marketplace. The original StreetDance was a breakout success
in the UK where it was the highest-grossing UK indie film of 2010, and with an audience appetite for dance films still in place — as evidenced by the Step Up sequels and plethora of dance talent pro- grammes on television — the film should appeal to distributors looking for a musical 3D release. The sequel — which screened to UK press last
weekend and has a private market screening in Ber- lin today — shot on location throughout Europe, including London, Rome, Berlin and Paris, bring- ing together a crop of new and talented dancers. The storyline may well be reassuringly familiar
(most dance films have the same structure), but co-directors Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini — who directed the original — know how to make good use of the 3D, and when the dance kicks in the film really finds its sense of rhythm. Street dancer Ash (Hentschel) falls flat on his
face when taking part in a dance battle against top crew Invincible, but sees his chance at redemption and revenge when Eddie (George Sampson, who featured in the original film) suggests getting
n 18 Screen International at the Berlinale February 10, 2012 MARKET
UK. 2012. 85mins Directors Max Giwa, Dania Pasquini Production companies Vertigo Films, BFI, BBC Films International sales Protagonist Pictures, www.
protagonistpictures.com Producers Allan Niblo, James Richardson Co-producers Henning Ferber, Maria Grazia Vairo, Marcus Welke Screenplay Jane English Cinematography Sam McCurdy Editor Tim Murrell Production designer Richard Bullock Main cast Falk Hentschel, Sofia Boutella, Tom Conti, George Sampson, Akai Osei-Mansfield, Elisabetta Di Carlo, Stephanie Nguyen, Samuel Revell, Kaito Masai, Brice Larrieu, Ali Ramdani, Niek Traa
together a crew of the best European street danc- ers to take part in a high-profile street-dance event in Paris. Cue a whistle-stop tour around Europe — leap-
ing from Copenhagen to Barcelona and from Ber- lin to Paris (with a longish stop-off in Rome for a dance/comedy sequence — before the freshly formed team of Euro talent assemble in a hostel, ready for an intense rehearsal period. After popping into a local bar, Ash and Eddie
see something that could give their team the edge — the spectacular and sultry Eva (Sofia Boutella, a real find and surely destined to be a big star), whose vibrant salsa dance skills open up the con- cept of a Latin/street dance fusion.
The opening Euro tour section is a little clunky,
but once Boutella arrives on the scene the film starts to deliver a needed sense of heat and pas- sion, and before long the expected on-off romance between Eva and Ash comes along. She is a vibrant personality, brimming with sex
appeal as well as having the acting skills to go alongside some lithe moves. She has danced in two of Madonna’s world tours, was the lead in the promotional video for Michael Jackson’s post- humous single release and featured in the Tom Cruise action-comedy Knight & Day. Boutella gives the film a real energy. The rest of
the dancers are supremely talented, but she has the personality to help drive the to-and-fro of the middle section where Eva and Ash learn each oth- er’s dance styles. Naturally enough, the film spirals off into a tasty dance-off climax, staged in a brim- ming amphitheatre. Some much-needed comedy class comes in the
form of Tom Conti, who polishes off his Euro accent to play Eva’s uncle Manu. Conti is winking- charm personified, and a scene where he shows off his dance skills with street dancer Bam Bam (Di Carlo) is to be cherished. StreetDance 2 is resolutely family-friendly —
things get steamy between Eva and Ash but never too steamy — and Giwa and Pasquini are smart enough to know 3D dance is what the film is all about… and they deliver a series of toe-tappingly cool and athletic dance sequences.
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