Step Up: Year of the Dance (2020) - Huang "SuperDino" Jingxing, Meiqi Meng, Kim Sung-joo, Owodog

[AlbertV]

http://i2.wp.com/pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/step-up-china.jpg?crop=0px,391px,634px,425px&resize=446,299&ssl=1

The hip hop dance movie franchise Step Up is about to go the martial arts fusion route as it was announced that Lionsgate and China's Infinity Pictures/CMC/Yue Hua Productions will be teaming up on a new Chinese-language installment in which dancing and martial arts are going to fuse into the film's sequences.

Making his directorial debut is stuntman, fight choreographer, and actor Ron Yuan, who is best known for his roles in some of the defunct PM Entertainment martial arts actioners of the 1990s and appeared in recent fare such as Girl from the Naked Eye and Underdog Kids. His older brother is Roger Yuan of Shanghai Noon fame. The reason for this installment to be set in China with a local cast is due to the popularity of the franchise in Asian territories.

Step Up: China will be the sixth installment of the series. Production is said to have begun last week for a 2017 release.

http://deadline.com/2016/11/step-up-china-local-language-sequel-lionsgate-1201857938/

Edited February 13, 2023 by AlbertV

[DragonClaws]

I've never watched one of these films the whole way through. From what I have seen they do owe a lot to not only Martial Arts but Hong Kong action cinema. The dance sequence I've viewed borrow a lot from Martial Arts movies and even the shapes films of 70's/early 80's.

[mpm74]

I'd rather watch Dirty Dancing: China Heat (the follow up to Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights) – at least with these, I know where I stand.

Dancing and martial arts? If nobody is getting hit, count me out.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by mpm74

[One Armed Boxer]

I consider it a crime to have put this in the Modern Martial Arts section.  A heinous crime.

[AlbertV]

I saw the film this morning on Tubi. It has a few martial arts fight scenes, choreographed by Ron Yuan collaborator Zack Roberts (who choreographed Blade of the 47 Ronin and also appears in this film as a thug). It's a typical story: star dancer goes to jail for two years for assault, finds redemption when rich boy who dreams of dancing forms a squad with prisoner and his crew and find themselves pitted against both a rival Chinese dance team and a top American dance team on tour in Asia. Not to mention the thug our protagonist beat up wants revenge (hence the fight scene). 

Nothing special, but I've seen a whole lot worse so it wasn't a complete waste.