Is it really necessary to have a third installment of Step Up? Apparently yes — and in 3-D no less! If this movie franchise made Channing Tatum a megastar, then it must be important.

Even though the movie’s plot doesn’t need an explanation (it’s secondary compared to the dancing), I’ll give you one anyway.

An awkward skinny dancing boy with curly hair by the name of Moose (Adam Sevani) steps out of Step Up 2 and into NYU with his BFF Camile (the Missy Elliott video kid dancer-turned-actress Alyson Stoner). While on an orientation tour, he accidentally gets thrown into a dance battle (no surprise there) where he shows up Kid Darkness (Daniel Campos) the b-boy from the bad-ass dance crew, House of Samurai.

(I think we all no where this is heading, but I’ll continue anyway.)

There is a ruckus after the defeat and Moose gets rescued by the hunky documentarian/dancer Luke (Rick Malambri) who houses dance vagabonds (known as the Pirates dance crew) who are “following their dreams” in his living space/dance fun house once owned by his late parents.

We later learn that the house is up for auction and unless they come up with money, they will be kicked out. It just so happens that there’s a big dance competition where they can win the money to keep the house! What a coincidence! But there is one thing standing in their way: The House of Samurai, led by Luke’s arch rival and ex-friend, Julien (Joe Slaughter). Plus, Luke has a hormonal distraction in the form of the mysterious sexy dancer, Natalie (Sharni Vinson).

Friendships are tested. Enemies are made. Love is put on the line. But all this pales in comparison to the power of dance!

The movie is a big sugarcoated slice of cheesecake drizzled with maple syrup – but it’s a sugar rush that is digestable.

Directed by John Chu (who also directed the sequel), the movie is like watching a super-trendy bubbly Coca Cola commercial combined with the splendor of Skittles advertisement and topped off with a dance party filled with So You Think You Can Dance alums. Even Glee’s Harry Shum Jr. reprises his role as Cable. It’s a 107 minute music video or episode of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew – which could’ve been shortened for sanity’s sake.

The movie keeps in the spirit of it’s dance predecessors: Breakin’, Breakin 2: The Electric Boogaloo, Center Stage, and other crispy sugary sweet confections of dance. All of them focused more on finding dancers who can kind of act – something which Step Up 3D excelled at. If you can endure the “dramatic” parts of the movie and find delight in the stellar dancing, than you may be able to enjoy this movie.

There are too many cheesy things to say in one breath, so I will do the exact opposite. I’m going to point out the most endearing part of the movie. No, it wasn’t a makeout scene between the two hotties (Malambri and Vinson) – it was a modernized throwback routine performed by the normal looking kids, Moose and Camille. They danced down a Hollywood version of a New York City street to “I Won’t Dance” sung by Fred Astaire. It was sweet. It was genuine. It was musical. It actually pumped a little bit of soul into this cinematic dance machine. That was what made the movie a dance movie –but I’m not saying I didn’t like the b-boy battles, high school play-worthy acting, thrusting hips, ostentatious dance theatrics and gratuitous 3-D pop-and-lock-to-the-camera effects. All of those things are as enjoyable as a sticky and sweet Blow Pop….or porn.

I, like millions of other SoYouThinkYouCanDance-o-philes, crunked out and spazzed after watching Alex Wong and Twitch’s hip hop routine from last week’s show:

It has, indeed, reached legendary status — mainly because I have watched it about 20 times and I am on my way to learning the routine in its entirety.

More than that, I think that the song for this routine has hit its tween demographic with these profound lyrics:

Grab dat bottle, twist dat cap
Hold it in the air and tip it back
I’m drunk as hell, I’m off Patron
I really don’t dance but I’m in the zone
Move bitch get out the way
I’m runnin’ over n*gga’s like a runaway train
I grab my beer, you do the same
Shake that shit and make it rain!

In addition to those inebriated lyrics, the song is peppered with a plethora of “I don’t give a f*cks” — perfect lyrics for the young demographic to live by.

But who gives a f*ck about the lyrics? That routine was off the hip-thrustin’ hizzy! Naah mean son?!

And P.S. I refuse to call the duo Twilex — it sounds like a environmentally harmful bathroom cleaner that cause sterility.

I already did my review on Eclipse and listed The 10 Best Things about Eclipse — but I left one very important thing off that list: Edward Cullen’s sideburns:

They are very similar to the Golden Age of cool guy sideburns which peaked in the ’90s with the ambassador of ‘burns: Brandon Walsh of 90210 fame…

Brandon Walsh. Edward Cullen. They are practically brothers. And the sideburns are just so rad.

It’s been a while since I wrote about Lost. I really should be all up on it considering the finale is on Sunday — and I am kind of sad.

Nonetheless, the extent of my commentary on the last couple of episodes have been in the form of tweets:

Matthew Fox is really good at crying — I mean, REALLY good.
about 2 hours ago via web

and…

I am still waiting for LOST to NOT make me feel dumb-but it was great to see Allison Janney…and Zac Efron as the young MIB was superb!
10:54 PM May 11th via web

As for tonight’s episode, this is what I learned (there may be some spoilers ahead):

1.) Jacob is a really big Debbie Downer when he tells campfire stories.
2.) Jacob also has a complacent glazed over stare similar to Droopy the Dog.
3.) Everyone is still sad about the loss of Sun, Jun and Sayid. (including myself)
4.) Miles is still around! At least one of the Asians didn’t get auf’d.
5.) Jack’s son can make a mean bowl of cereal.
6.) Danielle Rosseau makes a mean coq au vin.
7.) If you order someone not to talk in the presence of Flocke, he will kill them (Sorry to see you go Zoe. You were annoying anyway).
8.) In the flash sideways, we learn that Desmond has a knack for shopping for appropriate womenswear suitable for a concert.
9.) I wonder if this concert everyone is going to is the much-anticipated Glee concert.
10.) Young Jacob still has an affection for his Willow-esque wardrobe.
11.) Jack teaches us to always have a cup in your knapsack. You never know when you’ll need it to drink holy water that will make you the protector of an island.

Egan with Seyfried in ‘Letters to Juliet

Before my interview with Chris Egan, I run into him at the refreshment table. He smiles as I ask “Which one is not decaf?” of the five pitchers of coffee on the table.

With an Aussie accent and dressed in All Saints garb (which I would later learn he loves) he’s just as puzzled as me, “I don’t know.” He calls out to the people in the next room, “Which one is not decaf?”

“I think all of them are regular,” says one of the random voices accented with a splash from the land down under.

He politely pours me a cup and then fills his own. I ask, “Do you take sugar or the fake stuff?”

“I need the real stuff,” he says.

“I never really understood fake sugar – sometimes it scares me,” I admit.

He laughs as we, along with his cohorts in the next room, go into a really interesting discussion of aspartame and saccharine.

Besides his need for the real “raw” sugar in the brown packets, my knowledge of Chris Egan didn’t go beyond his role in Eragon; a movie about dragon mythology that starred Jeremy Irons.

I never saw it — and I really like any movie that involves dragons and things of the fantastical variety.

Shame on me.

Egan in Eragon

Needless to say, I felt a little guilty when meeting Mr. Egan, who stars in Letters to Juliet with Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave. In it, Egan is Charlie, an uptight English bloke who accompanies his grandmother (Redgrave) on a journey to find her long lost love that never received a love letter she wrote over 50 years ago. This is all thanks to Sophie (Seyfried), a Verona-vacationing American woman (and Charlie’s possible love interest) who finds said letter while volunteering with a group of Italian ladies who respond to letters asking for love advice from “Juliet” (as in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet).

Despite the sun-kissed vineyard setting of Italy, the movie is definitely a romance cynic’s worst nightmare, but it is a romantic comedy. Perhaps people who frown upon happy endings should cut it some slack.

“Everybody wants to go to a movie to see the guy and the girl get together,” says Egan. “(Letters to Juliet) is just a fun, down-to-Earth movie – it’s not trying to be something that it’s not.”

Egan and I chatted some more about getting started in the industry, his role as the anti-romantic robot Charlie, the hesitant joy that can come from romantic comedies and his past with musical theater and Glee creator Ryan Murphy.

Your character, Charlie, is kind of a prick in the beginning of the movie.

Yeah he is. (laughs)

But at the same time, he’s charming – maybe it’s the accent. Did you model the character after someone in your life? How did you find your inner-prick?

I had so much fun with this character. Reading (the script) from the beginning, I knew there was so much I wanted to do with him and really take it over the top. There are brutes like that out there. Even though he seems surreal in the beginning, but his unpleasant behavior comes from the love for his grandmother. He just doesn’t know how to show it in any other way with the girl he’s attracted to. They let us improvise a lot so I got to do quirky, weird mannerisms.

So you did like your character from the very beginning. Play audio clip for his answer (player works best in Safari or Google Chrome):

Talking about the role of “Charlie”

I’ll be kind of up front with you – I’m kind of a cynic when it comes to romantic comedies.

Yeah – I am too. (laughs)

What would you say to cynics like me to change their minds about romantic comedies?

I think it helps that Charlie isn’t romantic – at the same time, these are characters who are dealing with real issues. They have pasts and pain – especially with the loss that he and his grandmother has had. I don’t really think it’s like any other romantic comedy – even though it does have the corny balcony ending – but that’s even a constant joke in the movie. Other than that, everyone can relate to one of the characters.

Let me backtrack a little bit – how did you get involved with acting? Was there an “A HA!” moment? Play audio clip below, which includes a funny incident with a crying baby in the hall:

Chris Egan’s A HA! Moment

You said you started in musical theater – have you jumped on the Glee bandwagon?

I have seen a little bit of the show. I’ve actually worked with Ryan Murphy before.

Really?

Yeah, we worked on a pilot together. He is one of the most talented guys in Hollywood.

So what was your first role in musical theater? And would you go back? Play audio clip for his answer:

Chris Egan sings!

Okay – going back to the movie and “romance” – what was the most romantic thing you ever done?

The most romantic thing I have done was a road trip. I took my girlfriend at the time on a road trip from Paris to Italy. That’s another thing about this movie. There’s an element of this movie that’s like a road trip – it’s like a journey for all of them.

Do you think guys secretly like chick flicks?

I think they’ve become popular – so yeah, I do.

So what can guys get out of this movie?

I think it’s just great to remind people about romance – real romance.

…and that was said with a heaping amount of real sugar. Not the fake stuff.

Letters to Juliet is in theaters Friday May 14

I immediately went home and watched the trailer:

Now doesn’t that just look FANtastic? Especially that juvenile sketch of the freakish experiment of humans connected mouth-to-butt? It brings a whole new meaning to “running a train.”

Count me in!

Kick-Ass (Johnson) and Hit Girl (Moretz) get ready to brawl

The Movie: Kick-Ass

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Written by: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn

Based on the graphic novel by: Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.

Famous who you probably won’t recognize: Aaron Johnson, Evan Peters, Clark Duke, Chloe Moretz

Famous people you probably recognize: Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

The story: Dave Lizewski (Johnson), an awkward comic book geek, gets the bright idea to become a superhero named Kick-Ass (with no super powers or combative training) that becomes a cultural phenomenon. While doing so, he gets pulled into a world of underground crime – and makes friends along the way including an 11-year-old foul-mouthed mistress of deadly weaponry known as Hit Girl (Moretz), a skilled middle-aged Batman look-alike who goes by the name Big Daddy (Cage), and Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse) – a guy who looks like the Flock of Seagulls lovechild of Boy Wonder Robin and Boy George.

The review: Vaughn has translated the graphic novel in a way that can please fanboys and the general public alike. Cut from the same cloth as Sin City, Kick-Ass celebrates violence and the freedom we have to kick ass as we like. It pleases the crowd that wants to see a bushy-haired teen in a green scuba suit get beaten like a pinata and an 11-year-girl amputate a drug dealer’s leg – and that’s holding back a lot.

The movie may have all the thrills of gravity defying gunfights and butterfly knife action, but it pales into comparison to the graphic novel. For sadists who crave more, read the source material. The pages of blood geysers, bone breakage and testicle electrocution will surely satisfy.

With a movie like this, the storyline usually falls by the wayside because audiences want to see bodies hit the floor. We do get lots of that, but Vaughn uses his unique storytelling abilities to shine a light on the typical tale of the underdog who is bored with his life. Aaron Johnson, who, despite his spot-on prepubescent American accent, is a Brit, plays the title role with an endearing sensitivity that can be compared to a lion cub trying to roar. His roar is in the right place, but he doesn’t have the physical prowess. His heart and evolving confidence eventually become his weapon of choice.

Audiences will eat up Hit Girl because she is actually the one who kicks the most ass. She has the physical abilities that Kick-Ass lacks (and vice versa). Plus, she curses like a masked sailor in a purple wig. From the moment she spits out the uber-crass four letter C-word, the audience will fall in love.

Expect a lot of Hit Girl costumes come Halloween.

As Red Mist, Christopher Mintz-Plasse played to his abilities of being uncoordinated and dorky – and there were only a few signs of McLovin. Perhaps his comedy goes beyond the role that made him famous. Nicholas Cage does his best impression of a cowled vigilante; with his deliberate stop-and-go articulation, he surprises as a subdued sociopathic patriarch.

Overall review: Vigilant, violent, action packed, and, in a weird way, heart-warming. You’ll enjoy rooting for the underdog and the wattage of this “ordinary” superhero flick that fuses Watchmen, Weird Science and Little Rascals. Grade: A-

The movie: Brooklyn’s Finest

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Written by: Michael C. Martin

Famous people you should recognize in the movie: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Ellen Barkin, Brian O’Byrne

What I wore to the screening: Theory pants, vintage pink shirt, blue and purple Revl tie, purple Club Monaco V neck sweater, YSL sock boots, Chinook coat, Fred Perry paper boy cap (which I almost lost after the credits rolled)

First thing I thought when I saw Vincent D’Onofrio: THOR! ALMIGHTY GOD OF THUNDER!

First think I thought when I saw Lili Taylor: She played the nymphomaniac girlfriend of D’Onofrio in Mystic Pizza!

Usual suspects: Fuqua continues his cinematic quest of police force corruption and moral decisions with a triad of cop-centric storylines. Gere is Eddie, a booze-ridden and suicidal cop on the verge of retirement; Cheadle is Tango, an undercover cop who becomes BFFs with a drug dealer (Wesley Snipes); and Hawke rounds out the bunch as Sal, a man who is on the verge of swiping drug money to save his wife and family.

Brooklyn is a great place to raise a family: Personally, I like Brooklyn. I have no idea where they filmed this movie in the NY burrough and I don’t know if I even ever want to go. With signature grit, grime and bloody gunshots, Fuqua conducts another opus that illustrates that not all is good in the hood. People get kidnapped, cops get compromised, racial slurs split friendships, policemen get shot, criminals get shot, blood splatters, drugs get dealt, Wesley Snipes resuscitates his career – all that doesn’t bode well for the tourism board of Brooklyn.

Been there, done that? I don’t want to not say “This movie is like Training Day”. I didn’t think the chaos could get any worse, but with this movie it seemed like it did. That said, it’s kind of like Training Day.

Bitching is worse than Barkin: In the screen time that Ellen Barkin has on screen as Tango’s superior Agent Smith, you snarl at your self-absorbed brashness and want to slap the ho.

Pretty Woman the X-rated sequel: Gere’s character, Eddie finds comfort in the prostitute Chantel (Shannon Kane). Was that oral sex scene a wink-wink, nudge-nudge to one of the greatest romantic comedies off all time? I think so!

Overall critique: You wouldn’t expect anything less from Fuqua and his band of disgruntled cops, but you want more. Grade: B-

In a ambitious (and kinda desperate) attempt to make it big, a guy named Michael is soliciting his design services to make Sandra Bullock’s gown for the Academy Awards. In fact, he wants to make her the “belle of the ball”. The homeboy has even made a spec dress now and is holding an open call for Sandra look-alikes so that he can do a photo shoot that will hopefully get sent to Sandra.

Now that’s dedication…with a dash of neurosis.

Sure, it’s a tad desperate, but you got to hand it to big Mike – the kid’s got balls. I mean, when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose, right?

Furthermore – Sandra might jump on this because we all know what magic Craigslist can bring to a person’s life – and I’m not just talkin’ about those m4m rendezvous.

I’m actually curious to see what will happen…

Check out the ad by clicking here.

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Reptilian bedazzlement: Gold medalist Evan Lysacek from the U.S.A. sports some sparkly snakes on his black onesie. Very Snakes on a Plane meets Ice Castles meets Matrix. And how bout that hair? Apparently he needed to use one more bottle of Dep gel because during his sit spins I saw a clump of it go out of place.

AP Photo/Mark Baker

Feathers or any decolletage of the aviary variety: Johnny Weir is no stranger to fashion. Hell, he once skated in Rodarte knits. For his free program, he gives an angel wing effect on his costume – showing us that he can fly. How poetic…and literal.

Photo credit: George Bridges/MCT

Nude effects: The cutouts on figure skating costume give the illusion that you are seeing skin – but it’s nude pantyhose material (as China’s Tong Jian shows us). Talk about being a tease.

AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Sparkly trompe l’oeil effects: Silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko presents us another figure skating costume trick: the fake glimmery vest and tie combo. It looks like something I wore in show choir.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Billowy sleeves with lots of give: Being in awkward, rapid spinning movements calls for puffy sleeves a la Pirates of the Caribbean -and Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel knows how to rock it.

Photo credit: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images

Clowns: We would like to thank Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy for showing us a new erotic position done clown-style.

Heavage: Chest, chest and more chest. Man cleavage runs rampant and it will forever be a trend on the ice. Thank you Jeremy Barrett (left) and Zhao Hongbo for showing us how it’s done.