This spring “Step Up 2: the Streets,” the sequel to the 2006 smash hit movie “Step Up,” will look to out-do its predecessor.

Because “Step Up” was such a success, Touchstone Pictures decided to create what seems to be an exact replica of the hit, with a few alterations here and there.

If you’re looking for another formulaic teen hip-hop dance movie, this might be the best around. The movie is full of cool out-of-this-world dance moves that will make everyone in the audience want to get up and groove. It will leave half of the audience wishing they could do those moves and the other half wishing they would’ve just rented the first “Step Up.”

The movie has numerous similarities to the first one including the setting, which takes place in the neighborhoods around the Maryland School of the Arts in Baltimore. This provides an interesting dynamic of diverse social classes and ethnicities, a theme that seems to be part of every hip-hop dance movie.

The heroine Andy is a Caucasian teen girl who has lost her mother and now lives in the heart of Baltimore with her mother’s friend, who struggles to give her direction in life. Although their relationship touching, the movie never delves into the situation and the writers falsely assume that viewers can figure out the dynamic by themselves.

“Step Up” heartthrob Channing Tatum has a small role in the film and comes in to show off his moves and gets Andy an audition at MSA. It is obvious that Tatum’s appearance simply serves the purpose of satiating viewers by giving them a taste of the “hunk” as his role is entirely insignificant.

Andy’s audition gives her a last chance to prove that she can do something right, as her guardian threatens to send her to Texas if she gets into any more trouble. She is now faced with the obligation of taking advantage of the opportunity if she wants to stay.

As the plot progresses, Andy is faced with the conflict of leaving her old crew behind and finding new friends at school. Of course the most popular guy at school coincidentally falls head over heels for her as they play a predictable game of cat and mouse. In this manner, the movie lacks spontaneity.

Andy and her new group of MSA misfits come together along with her suitor and try and take their act to “the streets,” in the form of a competition aiming to identify the Baltimore’s best dance crew.

If you’re looking for a deep intriguing plot that will open new doors of the mind, this is not the movie for you. If you’re looking for a fun, upbeat movie that’ll leave you wanting to dance a little yourself, than I suggest you check it out.