April 2007

Movie Title: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10)
Year: 2007
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer official site: http://www.perfumemovie.com/

Ah… What a beautiful poster. That is my first impression when I saw this big standee in front of the cinema. I am still wondering what movie it was at the point of time since I am watching Meet the Robinsons. The name Perfume with such an artistic poster capture my attention.

When I look at the bottom, the sentence “from the director of Run Lola Run”, I know I couldn’t miss it out. And of course it is an excellent choice. Something I would love to say it’s cool. If you are in Malaysia, I would suggest you wait for the uncensored version DVD to come out. Right… lots of nudity, and I mean lots.

Spoiler begins here.
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A movie set in the 18th century Paris, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is an adaptation from the best selling novel by Patrick Süskind. This movie is extensively narrated by John Hurt. The story begins with the scene whereby Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw) is being jailed for mudering more than a dozen woman and will be sentence to death and executed soon. Before so, he was brought to the public and the verdict is being read out loud. The public was cheering happily when they heard the cruel punishment Grenouille will go through before death.

The movie then flashback to a dirty, smelly little town in Paris. Yes, notted for being the smelliest town where lots of fish monger settles. Grenouille was born underneath a fish stall, the same place his mother give birth to his 6 other siblings. However they were born and left there to die together with all the fish disposables. However, being different from the rest, Grenouille takes a deep breath and started to cry. Little does he know, his first cry caused him his mother’s life. His mother was sentence to death for trying to kill Grenouille by leaving him to die.

Grenouille was then being sent to an orphanage. When Grenouille first arrive at the packed orphanage, the children sense something different in this baby boy and tries to kill it. However, Grenouille was saved in time. As he grew up, everyone started to stay away from him. Not that they hated him, but they are just plain afraid of his actions. Grenouille would just pick up anything and everything and smell it. By the age of 5, Grenouille could not speak a word but he could identify lots of smell.. so many smell that some even words couldn’t describe.

As years goes by, Grenouille grew up to have cravings for smell.. any smell as long as they are new smells. That is all he is asking for. The orphanage he is staying in no longer can afford keeping him there. He was then sold as a slave to a place whereby they produce animal skin. There… he work hard, very hard. Normal boy would last a year or two in such places but Grenouille proves to be different. Whenever he have the time, he would sit by the side and look at the city opposite the river.

His chance came when the owner decided to bring Grenouille to town. There, Grenouille was so excited as he could smell a lot of different scent… so many different type of scent he have never smell before. It seems like a whole new world to him. He would walk around the street and savour all the smell he could inhale.

The town open his nose to a brand new world when he pass by a perfume shop. He could smell everything nice, fragrant and when everyone starts praising the perfumer Pélissier (Jaume Montané) and noted him as one of the most innovative perfumer in Paris for creating a popular fragrance “Amor & Psyche”. As he wanders deeper in to the town, he discover a very special scent, a scent so perfect he can’t help but to follow and inhale the scent.

He finally discover the origin of the scent after searching high and low. The scent was actually from a red hair girl who sells plums. Grenouille tries to inhale her smell from close and this scares her. The girl tries to scream and Grenouille quickly muffles her when he notice someone else is around. When the people left, he notices the red hair girl stop moving or making a sound and found her dead. Grenouille then tore open her dress and try to smell every part of the girl only to notice the perfect scent fades of as the girl died.

Later that night, his owner beat him up badly for leaving his sight. However Grenouille never mind a bit as he can never get over the fact that he lost hold of such a perfect scent. His life is then devoted to find and keep the perfect scent.

Giuseppe Baldini (Dustin Hoffman) is one of the perfumer in Paris. He used to be one of the famous perfumer… however he lost touch with scents as grew older. A once popular perfume shop is now left empty. Chenier (Timothy Davies), Baldini’s helper tries to help him solve his problems when the mayor in Paris asked Baldini to create a replica of the “Amor & Psyche” fragrance for him to use in an event. Troubled by the fact of not knowing the ingredients and it’s formula, Baldini locks himself up at his working space and start to analyse and study the fragrance.

Baldini’s effort meets a dead end when he could not figure out some of the ingredients used in the “Amor & Psyche” fragrance. At that point of time Grenouille drop by sending animal skins to Baldini. He then asked Baldini if he wants to make the skin smell better and mention that “Amor & Psyche” isn’t a good perfume as it is a little too strong in certain ways. Baldini was shocked wondering how Grenouille would know he was analysing the “Amor & Psyche”.

Grenouille then pick and choose and hinted out all the ingredients use to create the fragrance. It very much shocked Baldini. Grenouille then asked Baldini to take him as apprentice as he sees this as a good opportunity to learn methods to preserve smell. Being ego, Baldini insulted Grenouille stating that having a sharp nose and can tell what ingredients used is not good enough. Experience and formula is the keyword.

Disappointed and felt challanged, Grenouille asked for a chance to create the “Amor & Psyche” with his own method. Baldini then agrees to let him try but was out of faith when he sees how Grenouille just throws everything together without even measuring them and making it at some methods Baldini never thought could work. Grenouille then pass what he had made to Baldini, and to Baldini’s surprise… it smell exactly like “Amor & Psyche”.

Grenouille then tell Baldini that the “Amor & Psyche” is not a perfect fragrant and made a few adjustments to it and ask Baldini to try it. Baldini then ask Grenouille to leave the bottle and leave as he needs time to digest and think about things. Grenouille kept asking Baldini to take him in as he leaves the place. When Grenouille left, Baldini opens the bottle and smell it. It was almost like paradise.

The following day, Baldini went to where Grenouille work and bought him over. There, Grenouille helped Baldini creates new perfume with only one condition. Grenouille would create a lot of great perfumes for Baldini but Baldini must promise to teach him the ways to preserve smell.

With Grenouille’s help, Baldini become a famous perfumer in Paris once again. Baldini then teaches Grenouille the basics of a perfume telling him like music, perfume have notes, 4 scent as the base, 4 scent for the start of the scent and 4 scent to end the scent whereby there is a legend stating there are the 13th ingredient that creates the most perfect perfume in the world. It is said that back in the Egyptian times, some people have smell the perfect scent.. they could identify the 12 ingredients.. but no one know what is the 13th ingredient.

Besides teaching Grenouille that, Baldini also shows Grenouille the distillation process whereby Baldini showed how tons and tons of fresh rose is processed only to create a few ml of fragrant oil. Right after Grenouille learn the method, he secretly tries it when Baldini is sleeping. Awaken by the noise at the basement, Baldini saw Grenouille in frustration mode. He walks over trying to ask Grenouille what happened.

Grenouille was angry and called Baldini a liar when he fails to capture the scent of glass, steal and even Baldini’s cat. Upon his failure, Grenouille falls ill with small pox. Baldini was worried as he is too greedy and wanted to get more out of Grenouille. Baldini then told Grenouille that there are other method that can capture the scent of objects. However this method is only used in Grasse, a town whereby all perfumer must work and learn there.

Upon hearing the news, Grenouille recovers in a speedy. Grenouille needs travel papers in order to go to Grasse. Baldini promise to write those travel papers for Grenouille if he agrees to give him 100 perfume formulas. Grenouille never mind a bit as he could even give Baldini 1000 formula if only he will write him the papers. Grenouille then left Paris and head to Grasse.

Baldini on the other hand is very happy with the formulas that Grenouille provide him and hug them to sleep. However he never woke up ever since when his house mysteriously plunge into the river below. Grenouille then carry on his way to Grasse. In the middle of the way, he found this cave which he hide there for years. Yes, he finally found a place which is calm and have no other scent as it was a cave of dead rocks.

He slept and rested there for years when suddenly he woke up after having a bad dream. He soon notice he have no scent of his own and this starts to scare him. He then speed up his way to Grasse knowing he has wasted a lot of time. When he reach Grasse, he catches a scent similar to the perfect scent he get from the red hair girl in Paris. This time, it was a scent from another red hair girl, Laure (Rachel Hurd-Wood), daughter of Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman), the second consul and the richest man in Grasse.

Grenouille knows he would have to learn the method of keeping the scent before he do anything stupid and lost the scent again. Hence, Grenouille begins to learn from a widow perfumer, Madame Arnulfi (Corinna Harfouch) who inherited her perfume business from her late husband. Durot (Paul Berrondo) is Madame Arnulfi’s journeyman and also lover. Grenouille stands out from the rest and Madame Arnulfi always praise him for being delicate and passionate about his work. Durot felt threaten hence he always pick on Grenouille.

There, Grenouille killed one of his fellow colleague and tries to keep her scent using the maceration method. However he fails. He then walk down the street to look for a hooker. He decided to pay her to let her try coating her with animal fat while trying the effleurage method. The hooker quickly rejected Grenouille. Anger by rejection and curious to know the outcome, Grenouille killed her and tries the effleurage method on her. It was proven to work.

After that, Grenouille is all set to gather all the best scent to create the PERFECT perfume. He started killing all the beautiful virgin girls to collect their scent as the base of his perfume. Everyone in the town of Grasse was terrified when they know a murderer is set loose. The murderer would kill the town’s most beautiful girls, leaving them naked with all their hair cut off.

The people starts to worry as their theory of the girls being raped was proven wrong when they all show no evidence of being raped. Antoine Richis soon see the pattern and starts to worry when a men the government caught who claim to admits to the killing in Grasse was actually not the true murderer. He decides to leave town with her daughter and brought her to a nearby inn.

Thinking he could deceive the murderer, Richis and her daughter travel separate ways from the carriage man. Able to track scents, Grenouille quickly follows Laure’s smell as he needed her scent to complete the collection. At the inn, Richis told Laure why they are running away as he dream of her death. He then decides to marry her to someone she doesn’t love. This disappoints Laure.. and to make matters worst, Richis lock Laure up.

Grenouille manage to sneak in and stole the key and killed Laure in the inn. With her scent, he completed the PERFECT perfume before he was arrested and tortured by Richis for killing her daughter. The movie then ties in back with the starting of the movie whereby Grenouille is brought to the public hearing and was sentenced to death.

On his execution day, thousands of angry citizens gather around waiting to see how such a cruel murderer will be killed. However, everyone was shocked to see him dress nicely and arriving at the town in a carriage. It was shown that Grenouille dap a few dap of perfume on his body and handkerchief. The guards that escorts him rudely soon felt like they were in heaven and everybody starts treating him nicely. Even the executioner and the angry citizens hatred and anger turns to love.

The authorities, executioner and citizens soon abandon the idea that he should be punished stating that he is an angel. Being happy, he dapped the handkerchief with more perfume and let it go. Everyone goes crazy and started to fight over the handkerchief. The whole town then starts to touch one another and everyone started to take off their cloths and make love in the middle of the town.

Grenouille is pardoned from his crimes and even Richis apologizes to Grenouille for what he has done. Grenouille then leaves town and returns to Paris with his PERFECT perfume. He knows he hold the greatest weapon in the world. He could make everyone bow down and be the king and conquer the world. He soon realize that he would not be loved and he could never love someone as what the people really fall in love with is actually the perfume he creates.

He return to the place he was born. There, he saw a group of homeless. Right in front of them, he opened the bottle of perfume and pour every single drop of it on him. The people soon goes crazy and tells him how much they love him and start to pile on him. The effect is so overpowering that they want to hold him as an angel and own a piece of him, at which point they tear him to pieces in a frenzy and eat his remains leaving behind his cloths and the empty perfume bottle.

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Spoiler ends here.

I personally think it was a great movie with strong and powerful actors and actress. Everyone sort of fit their roles except the fact that I felt the red hair girl in Paris looks less attractive than the rest. Hmmm… then again.. beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.< I love how the storyline goes as it is really interesting and creates a lot of tension which makes one addicted to continue watching it. I seriously not find any boring moments watching this show. Not to mention lots of lovely ladies to look at. However I am kinda disappointed with the fact that a lot of the movies was censored due to nudity. Ah... now.. one would wonder why lesser people goes to cinema and watch movies like this. I strongly recommend this movie if you like something interesting, with strong storyline and new faces. Well, what can I say, I think it worth every penny of the investors since this is the most expensive German movie to date (2006).

Movie Title: Meet the Robinsons
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (6/10)
Year: 2007
Meet the Robinsons official site: http://www.meettherobinsons.com/

The hype for 3D animations is back. This time around Disney is here to show us how weird… is weird. Smartly promoting their 2D skills, most cinemas will show a almost 10 minutes short 2D cartoon. The one I saw was the 1938 Micky Mouse’s “Boat Builders”.

Seriously, it’s kinda fun watching back some good old cartoon we all grow up to recognize. I notice everyone in the cinema had a good laugh watching the short cartoon. Right, I simply think it was a great move to cross sell their 2D stuff… just like how Pixar always show some short clips of their other 3D work. Something short but nice and best of all entertaining in every single way.

Movie begins with a sepia colour tone scene. A mysterious looking lady was carrying a new born baby quietly and secretly walk up to an orphanage building. Looking left and right.. she then left the baby at the doorstep. When the orphanage owner, Mildred (Angela Bassett) heard someone knocking on the door, she opened the door to find a cute new born baby lying in the box. She then took in the baby.

Years later, the little baby grew up to be an intelligent and creative boy named Lewis (Jordan Fry). Interested in science, Lewis comes out with lots of inventions. Everyday, without fail he would invent, invent and invent. Lewis is working on his newest peanut butter and jelly invention, thinking his invention could help his adopters in their daily life. Unknown to him, his adopters have serious allergy over peanuts. To make matters worst, his invention got stuck half way while demonstrating. The machine then blow out and mess up the whole room with peanut butter and jelly. The angry adopters left almost instantly.

Upset and frustrated, Lewis runs to the orphanage roof top. Mildred chase after him trying to make him felt better. Mildred was surprised when Lewis mention the amount of times he have been rejected by the adopters. Lewis felt so rejected and unwanted, he even mention how he felt so sad that his real mother didn’t actually want him. Mildred trying hard to calm Lewis down mentioning that his real mother might have difficulties raising him up or she feeling lost at the point of time. After listening to what Mildred have to say, Lewis is determined to find his real mother.

In order to find his mother, he would have to depend on his memory. Hence, Lewis decided to create a Memory Scanner to help him remember what he happen back then and help locate his mother Lewis drew sketches and more sketches. Lots of testing have been done to correct things. With him working on his Memory Scanner day and night, this caused his room mate Goob (Matthew Josten) to have sleepless nights.

Lewis is more than excited to show his latest invention at the Science Fair. Mildred told him to be back soon as she have arranged a meeting for Lewis to meet his new adopters. He even told Mildred he is tired of being rejected and his only intention now is to search for his real mother.

At the Science Fair, many other kids is ready to show what they have… some includes exploding volcano, fire ants. While trying to set up, Lewis bumps in to Wilbur (Wesley Singerman). Wilbur told Lewis he is a cop from the future and he has came to protect him from the Bowler Hat Guy (Stephen J. Anderson). The judges for the Science Fair lead by Dr. Lucille Krunklehorn (Laurie Metcalf) made their stop at Lewis’ table to look at his invention. They were quickly amazed when Lewis told them what his invention could do.

Unknown to Lewis, the Bowler Hat Guy and his atrocious hat, Doris is set to sabotage Lewis work. Doris went and unscrew some important part in Lewis’ invention which caused the invention to fail. It caused a big mess at the hall. Disappointed with the outcome, Lewis ran to the orphanage’s roof top again. He tear out all the drafts and sketches of the Memory Scanner. Wilbur helps him pick the sketches and ask Lewis to not give and go back to the Science Fair and fix the Memory Scanner.

Thinking it was a flop, Lewis refuse to return to the Science Fair and fix his machine. When Wilbur gets a little too pushy, Lewis doubted the fact that Wilbur is a police from future. Lewis asked Wilbur to prove that he is from the future. Left with no choice, Wilbur push Lewis down from the roof top where they landed on his spaceship (in stealth mode). Wilbur then brings Lewis on a ride and went to the future. Lewis was so amazed with what he saw and started to believe in Wilbur. Wilbur then asked Lewis to fix his Memory Scanner but Lewis refused to do so. He figure he could just go see his mother with this time machine.. instead of fixing the Memory Scanner.

They both got in to a fight which ended up crashing the time travel on the grass of the Robinsons mansion. Wilbur then make a deal with Lewis whereby he will bring him back in time to meet his mother if he will stay and fix the time machine.

The Bowler Hat Guy steals Lewis’ Memory Scanner invention when Lewis ran out from the Science Fair. He then brought the invention back to the future and tries to sell the idea as his. However he was unsuccessful as he have no idea how the machine functions and he don’t even know how to turn it on. He is then thrown out from the building. In order to fix the machine and knows how to make it work, the Bowler Hat Guy is set to capture Lewis.

On the other hand, Wilbur hides Lewis in the garage and told Lewis to not go anywhere, stay there and fix the time travel. Worried that Lewis is easily recognized, Wilbur even put on a fruit punch hat so that no one could see his hair. While trying to look for Wilbur, Lewis got sucked in through the tubes and ended up at the Robinson’s garden. There he got to meet Wilbur’s grandfather who is busy looking for his teeth, Wilbur’s uncle, mother, cousin… ah almost everyone except for his dad.

Soon it was dinner time, Lewis join along and was introduced as Wilbur’s classmate. He had so much fun at the dinner table. There Lewis saw some invention similar to his peanut butter and jelly machine. Like what happen before, it got stuck and Wilbur suggested Lewis to fix it. The outcome is similar to what happen previously. The machine exploded and mess up the whole dining area. Instead of being angry, Wilbur’s family supported Lewis.

The Bowler Hat Guy then peeks around the Robinson’s mansion trying to capture Lewis. He tries to hypnotize a few animals in to capturing Lewis… which includes hypnotizing one of Wilbur’s mum, Franny’s (Nicole Sullivan) genetically enhanced singing frogs. When the plan was proven to fail, The Bowler Hat Guy went back to the past and grab a T-Rex and brought it to the future to capture Lewis. Proven that The Bowler Hat guy just isn’t a born to be villain, his plans fail again.

After all the drama, The Robinsons decided to adopt Lewis as a family member. Lewis was excited and gladly accept the offer. Wilbur knows things like this could not happen and he purposely pulled Lewis hat off to reveal them. When the Robinsons know Lewis was from the past, the family told him it is impossible for them to adopt him. To make matter worst, Wilbur blurb out that the promises he make to Lewis was fake. He did that so that Lewis would help fix the spoilt time travel.

Feeling frustrated and cheated, Lewis ran away with the Bowler Hat Guy who promise to bring him see his mother if he would help him fix the Memory Scanner. Right after he fix and show the Bowler Hat Guy how to operate the machine, he revealed that Lewis is actually Wilbur’s father in the future. He also told Lewis that he is actually his room mate, Goob in the past. He blames Lewis for turning him to be what he is now. Apparently, Goob lost the most important baseball game by falling asleep and he fails to catch the ball. He blames it all on Lewis because Lewis work day and night on his Memory Scanner and make it hard for him to fall asleep.

After the lost, he becomes grumpy and eventually scares away a lot of adopters and left alone in the orphanage. He even told Lewis that Doris is one of his invention which he later shut down when he notices Doris have her own thinking and plans. However Doris escapes and partner up with Goob to take revenge.

Wilbur tries to save Lewis but failed as the Bowler Hat Guy ran them down with the time travel machine he stole from Wilbur. The Bowler Hat Guy then runs to InventCo Inc. trying to show them his Memory Scanner machine and change history. As the Bowler Hat Guy is about to sign the contract, Lewis notice things around him is changing and Wilbur is disappearing. Lewis then head to the garage and he manage to fix the time travel and go back in time to stop the Bowler Hat Guy from signing the papers.

When Doris tries to stop him, Lewis look up to Doris and told her he will never ever invent her and Doris disappears in thin air. Lewis then takes the Bowler Hat Guy for a ride in the time machine to notice that Doris was actually using him. She plans to turn the future world to a dark world where the hats rule the world by mind-controlling everyone who wears them.

The Bowler Hat Guy then seeks for forgiveness. Lewis then asked Wilbur and his family to take the Bowler Hat Guy as family. Before they could say yes, the Bowler Hat Guy walk away. Wilbur then met up with the future him whereby he show him a lot of things that he had done. Wilbur then decides to send Lewis back to the present. Before going back… he drop by at the past on the night Lewis’ mum decided to abandon Lewis, keeping his earlier promise.

However he just let his mother walk out from him when he got the chance to see how she actually look like. Wilbur then asked Lewis why he did that, Lewis only replied… he have a happy family in the future. Wilbur just smile and send Lewis back.

Back at the present times, Lewis tries to fix things. He walk pass the baseball field just in time to wake Goob up which resulted a different ending. He then goes back to the Science Fair asking for a second try. The judges decides that Lewis deserve a second try. Dr. Lucille volunteer herself as the subject to the experiment. When the Memory Scanner manages to show the actual event that happen back then, Lewis knew who they were. She was Wilbur’s grandparents which means they adopted Lewis. At the Science Fair, Lewis also stumbles upon a cute girl who has a display involving frogs. Lewis quickly know she will be his future wife and they soon started to be friends.

Being a typical Disney cartoon, all of it surely an educational ones. With content like never stop trying, don’t give up when meet with failures and of course the core.. keep moving forward. Like Chicken Little, I somehow think this animation is yet another forgettable one. Okay… at least Chicken Little was more memorable due to it’s catchy song but Meet the Robinsons just fail to capture me as something different.

The character development was rather surface as a lot of other characters weren’t really groomed up. Everyone have quite too little show time. At a point, I even felt they tried too hard to fit too many characters to the show.

Yes, there isn’t anything technically wrong with the show… but it just fails to light me up. Surely not one of the best animation movie of the year. See it if your kids, nephews, cousins bug you to bring them to the cinema. Watch it only if you ran out of options to see in the cinema.

Movie Title: Stomp the Yard
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/10)
Year: 2007
Stomp the Yard official site: http://www.stomptheyard.com/

Street dancing… ah it just felt so hot thinking about it. Right, I always felt street dancing is hotter than any of those ballroom dancing. Why? I sorta think street dancing are more natural, following the beat, freestyle. Everyone have their own different moves. Unlike ballroom dance which gives me the impression it was rather fake, the costume is too over, the smiles is so fake and ugly like you wonder why they smile at times and it felt like they are pretending to be someone they are not. In short… just not my cuppa tea.

Similar to You’ve Got Served, Stomp the Yard starts of hitting the audience with a pumped up street dance scene. A dancing competition is kicking on at one of the undergrounds in Los Angeles. Everyone is pretty much hyped up as it is quite a big thing. Goon Squad, headed by DJ (Columbus Short) and brother Duron (Chris Brown) has been eyeing on this team on the stage which have practically defeated 2 other rival team.

When they won again, Goon Squad head up to the stage to challenge them. A bucket is passed around as they take in bets. Goon Squad drop a roll of cash in to the bucket and the best part starts. Both group starts to show their moves where everyone goes head to head including the girls. It’s been made obvious the two groups didn’t like one another. When the audiences announce that Goon Squad wins the round, the other group was pretty much angry and challenge them for another round of dancing by throwing more money in to the bucket.

DJ was excited and quickly agreed. Duron on the other hand was happy that they won and wanted to leave with the money they earned. DJ then persuade Duron by telling him that they can’t win without him. Duron initially rejected the idea, however he didn’t want to leave his brother behind hence he decided to do it. Before they go for the challenge, Duron reminded DJ that it’s a teamwork and ask DJ to stop thinking it’s all only about him as they work in group.

The challenge gets more exciting. The crowd was cheering like crazy. Everyone is enjoying what they are watching. As the challenge gets more heated and personal, Duron jump out from behind and pull a great move and led Goon Squad to another victory. As the battle of dances ends, they all decided to walk home.

The Goon Squad was walking home when they were stopped by the group they defeated. They wants their money back. DJ refuse to give them the money back and they all fight. The fight ended badly where the leader of the other group pulls out a gun a fires at Duron. Duron died on the spot. While everybody ran away, DJ was stun crying and hugging over Duron’s body. DJ was then arrested for the fight.

After Duron’s death, DJ’s mother decides to send him to Atlanta to study. DJ first arrived at Atlanta where his uncle, Nate (Harry J. Lennix) picked him up. When they reach Nate’s house, Nate’s wife, Jackie (Valarie Pettiford) welcome him and showed him around. They even offer him to visit them when he could as DJ would be staying in the dorm. Before leaving, Nate warned DJ that his opportunity to study in Truth University isn’t an easy one as Nate used lots of his contacts to get him a place there.

On the registration day, DJ tries to runaway but Nate manage to stop him and send him to the university. Forcefully, DJ went to queue up to register. Just as he was looking around, he spotted April (Meagan Good). He then leaves the line trying to catch up on her. When he lost sight of her, he tries to get back to his place and this cost and argument. He was too late to notice that April saw the argument.

After registering, DJ headed to his dorm room, whereby he share a room with Rich Brown (Ne-Yo). Rich told him the rules of the room and then invited DJ to a party later but was rejected by DJ. DJ then went out for a walk and saw the Theta Nu Theta having a step show. It was something new to DJ as he have never seen anything like this before. He finds it rather funny as they refer to steps like that as a type of dance. Things was going on fine until Theta’s rival fraternity, Mu Gamma Xi came in to the picture and steals the show.

As the Mu Gamma Xi is marching in, DJ saw April and decides to chase after her. Not noticing he was disturbing the Gamma’s march, DJ almost have a fight with Grant (Darrin Dewwit Henson). Leader of the Mu Gamma Xi, Zeke (Laz Alonso) then warns DJ and they continue to march right up to the Theta’s show making it clear that they are the 7 time defending champion of the National Step show.

DJ finally have a chance to talk to April only to know that she already have a boyfriend. The jealous Grant then over and warn DJ to stay out from him and April. That night, Rich and his friends went down to a local club and invited DJ along. It was one of those nights where people from other cities represents their city to dance.

Being a senior and his hate for DJ, Grant kept picking on DJ. After picking up on DJ, Grant head to the dance floor and sexy dance with some girls. Coincidently, April walks in and saw what Grant was doing. April was furious and Grant tries to explain to her that he is just dancing. April make it clear to Grant that she dislike what he was doing. Grant was then summoned to the dance floor. As he is walking to the dance floor, DJ walked up to April and told her she doesn’t have to be treated like that. Grant ran back to ask DJ to leave her girl alone when he saw them talking.

DJ then take this opportunity to challenge Grant at the dance floor. After Grant finish performing, DJ shows his move, mocking everyone other contestant including Grant. The crowd went crazy and was cheering for DJ. Even Rich is not shy to mention that DJ is his roommate. Grant dares not challenge back as he know he could not top DJ’s moves.

The next day, while working for his uncle, DJ was approached by Grant, Zeke and 2 other Mu Gamma Xi members. Zeke wanted to talk to DJ. However, DJ claimed he is busy with work and rejected Zeke’s offer to chat up. Zeke then ordered his boys to do DJ’s work while he and DJ have a little talk. Zeke was impressed with DJ’s moves and wanted to recruit him as one of the Mu Gamma Xi’s member. DJ refuses Zeke’s invitation and insults Zeke. The Mu Gamma Xi gang then walks of leaving DJ to continue his work.

The Theta Nu Theta members noticed DJ’s talent as well. They then requested Sylvester (Brian J. White) to recruit DJ as a member as well. Unlike the Mu Gamma Xi, Sylvester make it clear to DJ that he could send in his form and he will be reviewed to see if he fits to join. DJ asked Sylvester if this is the best he could do as the Mu Gamma Xi gave him a better offer. Sylvester then ask DJ to join the Mu Gamma Xi if he thinks they strive a better deal. Sylvester then explains to DJ about brotherhood and how they all work as a team.

Later that evening, DJ was mowing the lawn when he suddenly notice April jogging by. He tries to get near to April not knowing it will scare her. He then tries to ask April out for dinner but was quickly rejected when she says she have to do tutoring. DJ then went to the tutoring reception and asked what subject April is tutoring and he took up the subject. When the tutoring is almost done, DJ asked April to dinner again. This time they make a bet to answer any question about the subject. If DJ could answer the question, April will go dinner with him.

DJ manage to answer the question and April brought DJ to this local hang out place where they dine. DJ did mention about the Mu Gamma Xi and Theta Nu Theta trying to recruit him after sawing him dance. April was happy for him and told him to check out the Heritage Hall to understand more about the fraternity. After dinner, they dance and ended up kissing each other when April pull away later on.

The next day, DJ passed by the Heritage Hall and walked in to see what it is all about. There he saw a lot of pictures dedicated to the men and women who were in fraternities and sorority. That afternoon, the Mu Gamma Xi are having a ceremony where pledges are made in to members. As the Mu Gamma Xi’s new members are revealed, the Theta Nu Theta members came interrupting the Mu Gamma Xi’s ceremony. The Theta Nu Theta new members also revel themselves. Everyone of them introducing their new nickname. DJ’s nickname is Knucklehead and does some moves to hint to the Mu Gamma Xi that their title is now in jeopardy.

While tutoring, April notices that DJ is now a member of the Theta Nu Theta when she saw his jacket. DJ noted that he notice a lot of things about her as well. April didn’t believe DJ and asked him what is her favourite colour. DJ figure it was green since April always wear green eyeshadow, a green stone on her ring and he even guessed April car is green in colour. That night, Grant asked April to dine in an expensive restaurant. There, he wanted to propose to April. Confused and wanting to find out if Grant loves her, she asked him what is his favourite colour. He picked all the wrong guesses. April was almost in tears while Grant asked if this has anything to do with DJ.

When April kept quiet and kept apologizing, Grant insulted April and even called her ungrateful. April then leaves Grant. Right after she broke up with Grant, he went to look for DJ and they both then got together. A few days later, Grant and the Mu Gamma Xi members were laughing at DJ when they saw him mowing the lawn. Grant quickly kept quiet when he saw April jump on the mower and hug DJ tightly.

The Theta and the Gamma are both having their secret rehearsals as the competition is near. Sylvester is trying his very best to teach his members the moves. One day while practicing in an empty and abandon pool, DJ’s move was secretly recorded by the Gamma’s. Grant decided to keep the record and study DJ’s move to put it to use in their dance coordination.

On the Theta side, the members spirit is getting lower and lower when they can not follow up to the steps and thinks it is difficult. DJ then teaches them his street styles. When Sylvester sees that, he got angry and tells him that stepping is not a rap video. DJ disagrees and told Sylvester that this is what dancing is all about. Sylvester then challenge DJ and his boys. At the challenge, both teams are about to even up when DJ decides to do a solo thinking it would lead his team to victory. Instead, they lost because it is a team event. His team was angry and disappointed with him. Right after the event, he remembered what Duron used to tell him. DJ then apologizes to the team. Sylvester and the boys welcome DJ back and even allows him to teach them a few new steps to be used in the dance moves.

While studying, DJ promise to bring April to try the best fried chicken in town. He then drive her to his Nate’s house for lunch. There DJ introduced April to his uncle and auntie. Nate and Jackie was surprised when April told them her mother passed away 5 years ago while his dad is the Dean of Truth University.

On the other side, the Gamma’s are researching on DJ and found out what happened in Los Angeles. They presented their research to the school board whereby they all agree to suspend DJ from school. DJ then receives a phone call from the Dean, Dr. Palmer (Allan Louis). Dr. Palmer make DJ a deal telling him he could continue to further his studies if he stop seeing April. However, DJ disagrees.

The Theta’s was upset over the fact that DJ is leaving them just 3 days before the championship. Dr. Palmer on the other hand told April the truth about DJ’s background. When DJ breaks the news to his auntie and uncle, they were shocked and speechless. They then told DJ the truth where it was partly their fault. It turns out Dr. Palmer and aunt Jackie used to date each other until Nate showed up.

On the day of the championship, Jackie went to look for Palmer about the deal he offered DJ. Palmer told Jackie that he didn’t want her daughter to make the same mistake as Jackie’s. Their conversation was overheard by April. Angry and disappointed, April told his father she is walking out of his life.

Dr. Palmer then agrees to reinstate DJ as he fear of loosing his daughter. That afternoon, DJ and April went to the National Step Championship. Both the Theta’s and Gamma’s are so close to winning. They both manage a tie. For the tie-breaker, the team will have to choose a team member to get head to head with one another.

The Theta chose DJ as his street dance knowledge could help lead them. Grant step up stating he could win as he already analysed DJ’s moves and told Zeke he could win. It was a heated competition. Just when the Theta is doing great, Grant did the exact routine DJ did in the tape. DJ was surprised but he quickly pulled out Duron’s glove from his pocket moving his body backwards and doing Duron’s best move which was shown earlier in the movie.

The Theta’s won the championship for the very first time. The Theta and April hugged DJ. The scene is then captured and appears on the wall at Heritage Hall.

If you really ask me, I would say there isn’t much plot to the movie. Seriously… it is one of those back to basics type of story. Love story… fall in love with rivals girl.. then get together.. wins championship.. still together… yeay.. ending. See… it’s kind of typical. I could practically pick out 100’s of movies with plots like this. What really interest me is actually the dance moves. Right… and to me, this is what that differentiate one dance movie from another.

Of course it’s none other than their dance choreography. What is best about this movie, both the lead actor and the rival are actual dancers and choreographers. Hence the dancing are believable and seriously good. What impress me is they really do act well especially Grant’s role. He really manage to make me think he is one bad person.

Nevertheless, ignore everything else and just focus on the dancing. You will tend to find it more entertaining and worthwhile. If you fail to concentrate, this movie is just another don’t bother to watch movie.