MOVIE REVIEW: Stomp the Yard
Following the vapid and overused formula of previous hip hop dance films such as “Step Up” (2006), “You Got Served” (2004) and “Save the Last Dance” (2001), this one highlights the pounding world of steppin’.
For those of you detached from today’s cultural zeitgeist, steppin’ is an aggressive form of dance with elements of marching band, jazz, hip hop and drill team mixed together.
Since nobody in this film really proves they can act, the art of steppin’ ends up being the only star of this film.
Each of the dance sequences is boiling with adrenaline and sweat. But everyone, including the director (Sylvain White, “Quiet”), must have been so involved with injecting life and emotion into the steps that they ran out of that stuff for the acting and storyline.
The ordinary screenplay is full of all the token obstacles that our bottled-up, morally-challenged protagonist must face. (“I’ll never be anything more than a poor lawn-mower.”)
And when our hero is given the opportunity to rise above his challenges through joining a fraternity, his skills as a street dancer are tested. (“Hey! Our rival fraternity stole our dance moves!”)
And we all know this film wouldn’t be complete without the ever-so realistic romantic subplot. (“That girl has the most beautifully ripe ass I have ever seen. I think I’m in love, even though she’s hooked up with my arch enemy.”)
I have learned steppin’ before, and it is amazingly difficult.
But my heart was never really racing excitedly during this film because of two things.
One, I already knew what was going to happen.
And two, I never cared what was going to happen since everyone was just filling a different stereotype. The steppin’ is spicy, but everything else is bland.
Casey T. Allen is the movie critic for The Utah Statesman. Questions and suggestions can be sent to caseyal@cc.usu.edu.