Save the Last Dance 2

Sequels are a tricky thing in the movie business. More time than not after a hit defined by financial success a sequel of lesser quality. Sure there are some exceptions like Aliens or the Godfather II but those are rare. The best you can usually hope for is a sequel that will further some of the characters in the original or is able to sand on its own merits. Back in 2001 there was a sleeper hit, Save the Last Dance, now some five years later we have Save the Last Dance 2. Okay, it’s not the most original title in the world but then again the movie does not submit to the curse of the sequel. This is especially rare since the flick is also a direct to video release. It used to be that by passing the theaters and going right to consumer video meant the anticipation of the film was dim enough that the studio didn’t want embarrassing box office returns. Now, with the advent of DVD many films of quality are going directly to your DVD players. The last point to mention here is another actress replaces the lead character. Again, this is usually a kiss of death but in this case the substitution works out. I mention this up front because I wanted to dispel any preconceived ideas that a direct release of a sequel is immediately bad. While this film is not as good as the original it does manger to entertain and it seems that now that is more than many flicks can boast.

The film starts off in what appears to an interview. Sara Johnson, originally played by Julia Stiles and now portrayed by Izabella Miko, breaks the forth wall and speaks directly to the audience. She recalls how she was born to be a dancer. Her mother would often comment that she knew how to pirouette before she could properly walk. From her earliest memories Sara always wanted to be a ballerina, a graceful dancer who could glide across the stage. It seemed that there was something that caused conflict in Sara’s ambition. She also loved the urban dance form of hip-hop. While ballet was highly structured, full of rules and standards, hip-hop afford Sara a chance to just let go and follow the beat. Sara wants the best of both worlds but the conflict between structure and independence affected her performance in both formats. This sequel basically starts off soon after the original left off. Sara has made the first part of her dream come through. Her audition with the world famous Julliard School of Dance worked out well and she was accepted resulting in her moving from Chicago to New York City. Sara would soon find out that as rough as it was to get there staying would require raising the bar to almost painful heights. Her main dance teacher, Monique Delacroix (Jacqueline Bisset) is old school when it comes to demanding each student master the traditional and arduous curriculum. She has little to no use for the influence of any other form of dance on ballet so the concept of hip-hop is not only foreign to the staid teacher it is repugnant. During orientation on her first day at Julliard Sara meets Miles Sultana (Columbus Short), who takes her for a trombone player. When she tells him she is there for ballet he questions whether she is a ballerina. Sara boldly states that she is already a ballerina; she is there to become a prima ballerina. This set up a playful antagonism that we all know will end up in a romantic relationship. Sara also has to deal with the students at her new school. In a high pressure school like Julliard the more favor you gather with the teachers the more jealousy you encounter from the students. It is a cut throat environment with an extremely high failure rate. Among her new classmates is Marcus (Matthew Watling) who infuriates Ms Delacroix the first day for wearing pants that ‘swish’. Then there is Katrina (Maria Brooks) destined to be the main rival for our girl Sara. It also turns out that Miles is actually her professor for ‘Introduction to Hip-Hop Theory’. I suppose this is a pre-requirement for Gangsta Rap 201.

During the course of the film there are the usual stereotypical scenes. You need the audition for the lead role, the urban dance show down and the kind words from an concerned member of the facility. In the five years since the original the theme of an interracial relationship is no where near as daring. While that seemed to be the major focus of the first film this one, to its credit, focuses more on a young woman torn between two dance worlds, not two racial worlds. The high tension rivals in ballet reminded me in many ways of Neve Campbel’s ode to ballet, The Company. This is just a younger version of that film many similar scenes including the mandatory injured dancer sub plot. The musical score here is not quite up to the original but the dance routines are a completely different story. The dance carries this film. Besides the ballet/hip-hop fusion there are some excellent examples of classical ballet. These young people seem more at home on their toes than most of us are walking. Even if you are not particularly a fan of ballet you will be entranced by the sheer beauty of the performances. Contrasting the graceful flow of the ballet numbers are the energetic hip-hop dance routines. Again, you don’t have to be a fan to realize that this form of dance is just as difficult in its own fashion.

Izabella Miko has some big toe shoes to fill replacing Julia Stiles. While Ms Stiles had more developed acting ability Ms Miko certain has the edge when it comes to dance. You might remember Miko for her dancing on a bar in Coyote Ugly. Here, she is very well cast as the young woman trying to find expression in two radically different forms of dance. She is also able to give a realistic presentation of Sara as she finds her way in love and dealing with other highly competitive dancers. Jacqueline Bisset is pure class. She delivers the perfect performance as the dance teacher. She comes across as the kind of teachers most of us have had. They are harsh on you, driving you to do your best just to spite her. As the love interest Columbus Short also gives an enjoyable performance. He has a natural, easy going nature that helps him ell the role.

Paramount once again gives their best for this direct to DVD release. The film was made in cooperation with MTV Films and was set to be shown on MTV the weekend before the DVD release. The technical aspects are excellent. The anamorphic 1.85:1 video is brilliant. The colors are bright and completely without any flaw at all. The sound track comes across as fantastic in the Dolby 5.1 audio mix. There is a little behind the scenes featurette that was fun to watch. This is more than the usual extended music video. This is actually a fun film to watch.

Posted 10/8/06