John M. Chu

  • Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)

    Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In French, On TV, March 2021) It’s been a wild ride through the Step Up series, as I (let’s check my notes) onboarded on the third in theatres in 2010, waited eight years before seeing the first, then followed it up every six months by the fifth, then the fourth and finally the second film. Whew. In retrospect, the second film is the one that shaped the series — we may talk about Fast Five as a major pivot point in its series, but Step Up 2: The Streets extended the romantic comedy aspect of the first film into the dance musical extravaganza of the next few instalments and codified both the style and the recurring characters. Even from a narrative perspective, the film almost begins anew — Chaning Tatum shows up briefly in an early scene to bring the lead character into the fold and then disappears. Suddenly, with director John M. Chu taking ownership, the street aesthetics of the series become more pronounced, the mood lightens up, Adam Stevani makes his introduction as the compelling “Moose” (never the lead, but always invaluable as supporting actor), and the series moves toward intricately choreographed spectacle, setting the tone for the next movies. Don’t tell anyone, dear Internet, but (looks around carefully and whispers) I dearly love this series. It’s the closest recent American cinema ever came to recapturing the undiluted joie de vivre that was previously found in the best of Classic Hollywood musicals. The blend of dancing, music and vivid cinematography takes advantage of all facets of movies as an art form, and the result is impossible to watch without a smile. Never mind the perfunctory plot — the fun of Step Up 2: The Streets is in the dance set-pieces all the way to a rain-drenched street demo as a climactic sequence (an idea so good that it was reprised in the next film in the series, where it was also a showcase). The cast of characters is quirky enough to be interesting, and the film has the good sense not to talk too long on the way to the next dance sequence. It’s all kinetic and fun, with great beats and even better choreography. I suspect that one of the reasons it took me so long to watch all five films is that, now that I’m done, I feel sad: The series stopped in 2014 (save for a Chinese spinoff in 2019), and there isn’t even a tidy box set available for fans. Too bad — I’d be first in line to get a copy.

  • Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

    Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On Cable TV, April 2019) Upon its release in theatres, Crazy Rich Asian was widely hailed by its publicists as a turning point in Hollywood history; the first studio-led big-budget film featuring an almost entirely Asian cast, heralding a new landmark for mainstream cinema inclusivity. I remember not quite getting the fuss, having seen a whole lot of Kong-Kong pictures, being able to cite precedents all the way to the admittedly problematic Flower Drum Song, and having tracked China’s growing influence over Hollywood throughout the 2010s. But of course, it’s different. No amount of bringing up The Joy Luck Club or Better Luck Tomorrow actually lessens Crazy Rich Asians’ achievement as a box-office and cultural success. But here’s a lot to unpack here, from the nagging feeling that this is another nail in America’s global dominance to the cross-cultural appeal of well-worn romantic comedy tropes, most notably the crazy wish fulfillment of marrying into a rich family. It’s great to see Michelle Yeoh back in a leading role as the family’s matriarch—she’s perfect for the role. The film is remarkably warm and funny, gradually easing American audiences into the titular craziness through a variety of western-educated viewpoint characters. Constance Hu headlines and does well, but Awkwafina steals every scene she has as a crazy Westernized friend who proves to be the protagonist’s sole reliable ally. You can argue that Crazy Rich Asians uses well-worn plot elements and merely dresses them up in new surroundings, but that’s the entire point of the exercise. Much of the film’s sheer sense of fun and accessibility can be attributed to John M. Chu’s excellent job directing, as he snappily brings together the experience he gathered while directing previous musical comedies and big-budget action blockbusters into something immediately compelling. He is certainly an efficient filmmaker—for a film about crazy rich Asians, the film does manage to put a lot of money on-screen, one of the set pieces being one of the most memorable wedding scenes in recent memory. No matter my qualms about the film’s publicity and meaning, I enjoyed it thoroughly. In fact, Crazy Rich Asians is so much fun that I was sorry to see it end so soon. Sequels? I’ll be there.

  • Now You See Me 2 (2016)

    Now You See Me 2 (2016)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (Video on-Demand, September 2016) I liked the first Now You See Me almost despite myself; acknowledging that the zippy pace, good cast and promising set pieces were often sabotaged by an unnecessary final twist, self-defeating CGI special effects and more energy than sense. Much of the same remains true about its sequel, except that Now You See Me 2 feels even less clever, less necessary and less energetic than the original. Oh, it’s certainly still fun to watch the exploits of magicians turned Robin-Hood outlaws, the various factions vying to control them and the clever set pieces that the likable protagonists have to navigate. Jesse Eisenberg is still remarkably fun as the alpha nerd, with able supporting turns by the dependable Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo and Michael Caine. Lizzy Caplan is new to the series, but makes enough of a good impression to shut down excessive complaints about Isla Fisher’s absence. The scope of the film is multi-continental, and director John M. Chu’s pacing is zippy enough. But if you want the film’s strengths and failures in a nutshell, contemplate the extended sequence in which members of the team flick and manipulate a crucial card so that guards don’t find it as they’re searched: On one level, it’s a dazzling one-shot filled with slick sleight-of-hand, audacious physical performances, great CGI and drummed-up tension. On another, though, it’s overblown, showy, overlong and almost completely superfluous once they get to their ultimate trick … which negates what they’ve just spent three minutes doing. So it goes with the rest of the script, which seems more interested in repeating by-now-predictable thrills in favour of anything approaching coherence. The final act is substantially duller than it should have been, and that’s largely because by this time in the series, we’ve figured out much of the way it works. As with the first film, Now You See Me 2’s conclusion comes with a big shrug. Surely there’s a way to use this series’ energy to more substantial use?

    (Streaming, May 2025) Watching Now You See Me 2 nine years later, in a double-bill with its prequel, does improve it slightly.  Sure, it’s a more humdrum affair than the first one: It can’t quite match the energy of his predecessor and certainly not its novelty, but it still works as a piece of entertainment.  The double-bill viewing does better highlight the tight and intricate narrative links between both movies, and (even if none of this was planned from the first film) subsequently makes the ending of the second film work better.  A lot of it is just meaningless razzle-dazzle, and plumbing too deep into the story is liable to make anyone go insane — but it’s reasonably fun despite not matching its predecessor.  Well enough, in fact, that I would actually welcome a third entry in the series.  The commentary track with director Chu is at the image of the film itself — not bad as those things go, quite entertaining but still a noticeable step down from its predecessor.