BREAKING THROUGH (2015)

Genre: Drama/Music
Director: John Swetnam
Cast: Julie Warner, Jordan Rodrigues, Carlito Olivero, Jay Ellis, Robert Roldan, Marissa Heart, Taeko McCarroll, McCarrie McCausland, Lindsey Stirling
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Shaw
Official Website: http://www.xlratormedia.com/film/breaking-through

Opening Day: 29 October 2015

Synopsis: BREAKING THROUGH is a coming-of-age dance drama for the YouTube generation. Story revolves around Casey Wright, a young dancer who is discovered on YouTube by an up-and-coming talent scout. When Casey gets thrust into the modern world of internet celebrity and culture, she must find a way to balance her true identity with her online persona, or risk losing herself and everything she cares about. From the writer of STEP UP: ALL IN and nine-time Grammy Award winner John Legend, comes a groundbreaking film that bridges the gap between film, music, dance and the internet.

Movie Review:

Breaking free from the aegis of the ‘Step Up’ franchise, the writer of its last (and purportedly final) instalment makes his directorial debut with this in-spirit follow-up set against the world of social media celebrity. Written and directed by John Swetnam, ‘Breaking Through’ – despite an executive producer credit to John Legend – feels like yet another ‘Step Up’ chapter and we mean that for better as well as for worse.

Indeed, the ‘Step Up’ films were never meant to be more than fast food for the MTV generation, each one a collection of awesome dance sequences built around a generic coming-of-age story for its myriad characters. Though the first movie that also launched the career of a certain Channing Tatum was arguably more entertaining than we expected it to be, the other four sequels that came after it were as derivative as it gets, which probably explained why their box-office numbers went down, down, down and down.

In attempting to launch his own dance movie, Swetnam doesn’t so much as reinvent the genres as recycle its worst clichés – and you can guess as much when his lead character, an aspiring female dancer named Casey (Sophie Aguiar), says in the first few minutes, “All I’ve ever wanted to do is dance.” Unfortunately for her, the videos that she and the rest of her dance crew/friends JJ (Jordan Rodrigues), Drew (Robert Roldan), Tara (Marissa Heart), and Michelle (Taeko McCarroll), have been uploading on Youtube have only managed tens of views, their one ardent supporter someone who goes by the moniker ‘BigMack’.

So when a talent manager Quinn (Jay Ellis) comes knocking, Casey and the Sunshine Band (oops, my bad) and her buddies are immediately enthused, though it soon becomes clear that Quinn only has intentions to represent Casey. Fame gets to her head, she neglects her friends, some bad things happen, she realises that she has lost her own groove, and finally decides to choose friends and family above all else. Sounds familiar? Yup, and how about a budding romance between Casey and JJ to go along, one that becomes strained as sparks start to fly between Casey and Quinn.

Swetnam takes his performers through a couple of extended (mostly outdoor) sequences, including one in a public park and another in the 2^nd Street tunnel in downtown Los Angeles, but these – choreographed by Ian Eastwood – somehow lack the inventiveness and flair of the best in any one of the ‘Step Up’ movies. That could in part be the fault of his cast who, besides Spears’ backup dancer Aguiar, just aren’t sharp enough or graceful enough to convince you of their talent; in fact, there is a distinct sense watching each one of the sequences that the cast could certainly do with some more practice, as well as the sense that Swetnam knew that too – which is why he resorts to some flashy edits just to cover up these flaws obvious even to a neophyte.

And if even these dance interludes fail to impress, there is really nothing else that ‘Breaking Through’ can offer. Even if we are willing to forgive the hackneyed plot or the cardboard characters, there is probably no excusing the lacklustre dancing on display, which probably removes any raison d'être for this movie to exist in the first place, let alone (ahem) break through. Yes, its message of following your dreams and not losing yourself in the process is a noble one, but there must be a more convincing – and a more entertaining way – of saying the same thing again. 

Movie Rating:

(If even the dance sequences fail to impress, there is really nothing that this ‘Step Up’ retread offers)

Review by Gabriel Chong