It came as a surprise to me recently that I had never actually written a review for the 2006 movie, Save The Last Dance 2. Looking back, it seems like a film that should have been on my radar and reviewed on this site a long time ago. After all, it ticks several boxes: it’s a dance movie, specifically a ballet film, and as regular readers know, I practically lived in dance studios growing up, constantly working on pointe and familiar with ankle injuries. Furthermore, Save The Last Dance 2 is the follow-up to Save The Last Dance, a film I genuinely love. So, the question is, why hadn’t I reviewed this film until now?
The simple truth is that Save The Last Dance 2 isn’t a particularly good film. In fact, it’s a rather unremarkable sequel that misses almost everything that made the original Save The Last Dance such a resonant and meaningful movie. Ironically, despite my preference for the first film, I think I may have actually seen Save The Last Dance 2 more often. For some inexplicable reason, Save The Last Dance 2 seems to be in constant rotation on channels like Showtime. It’s one of those movies that’s on in the early hours, when you’re too tired to reach for the remote, and you find yourself watching it out of sheer inertia. This is a film that almost mocks you, not only by diminishing the legacy of the first Save The Last Dance but also by highlighting your own lack of motivation to simply change the channel.
Save The Last Dance 2 picks up Sara’s story as she embarks on her journey at Julliard, having been accepted and having ended her relationship with the boyfriend from the first film. While Julia Stiles portrayed Sara in the original film, Izabella Miko takes on the role in this sequel. In some ways, Miko is a more believable ballerina than Stiles. (Miko’s background includes dance training at the School of American Ballet before a back injury led her to acting.) However, Julia Stiles brought a certain grit and edge to Sara that is missing in Miko’s portrayal. Izabella Miko’s Sara is almost perpetually cheerful, making it difficult to reconcile her with the more complex and compelling character from the first film. Miko is likable, but in this sequel, Sara feels stripped of the qualities that made her interesting; she becomes a somewhat generic, upbeat teenager chasing dreams in what feels like an extended MTV movie.
Upon arriving at Julliard, Sara encounters the typical tropes: envious classmates, demanding instructors, and quirky roommates. She also meets Miles (Columbus Short), a guest lecturer who is impressed by Sara’s hip-hop dance abilities. A romantic connection develops between Sara and Miles. Miles wants Sara to collaborate with him on choreography for his upcoming show. However, the demanding Monique Delacroix (Jacqueline Bisset) wants Sara to take on the lead role in Giselle. This lead role is a significant opportunity, potentially launching Sara into stardom, but it would consume all her time, preventing her from assisting Miles. The film presents this as a major dilemma, almost portraying Sara’s potential commitment to Giselle as a betrayal of Miles, despite the fact that one would assume a guest lecturer in hip hop dance would have a network of choreographers to call upon.
If the original Save The Last Dance delivered a message about Sara not having to choose between ballet and hip hop, the sequel seems to contradict this, suggesting, “Actually, she does have to choose, and she better pick the one that best suits our soundtrack needs.” It’s a rather disheartening and shallow shift in thematic focus. It undermines the very elements that made the first film so special and appealing to audiences.
Nevertheless, I’ll probably end up watching Save The Last Dance 2 again the next time I absentmindedly turn on the TV and find it playing. Changing the channel sometimes just feels like too much effort.
