I read about the 2012's review, the reviewer was honouring; which drove me to write my own review as I have quite different opinion.
First and foremost, don't regard me a dancer notoriously despising every non-international dance. I appreciate international style VERY much but that DOESN'T mean I am looking down upon all other dances- I actually bear a whole spectrum which includes all the dances you can name (well, a little exaggeration, but, you know I have been inspired by non-international dancers). However, if it is about the media, it becomes more than a mere screen show. To me, media has always shared some responsibility in disseminate morality, virtue and ethics because of its powerful infiltrating ability. In fact, what I disagree with in most of the dance films is the value. Not narrowly referring the attitude people regard dancing, I am talking about how people treat one another, how they see relationship, how they define hero-ship; how they regard winning as everything, and of course how they oversimplify the reality.
The 2010's is a crossover of street dance and ballet which makes sense to me as both require twisting human body in an impossible way; the 2012's is a crossover of street dance and salsa, also makes sense since both aim to integrate acrobatic moves into a show they called 'dance'. No offense, I appreciate top street dancers as much as I adore ballet dancers and as much as I admire acrobat performers.
Lots of people mistake street dance a delinquent act, but street dance actually requires a strong sense of rhythm so that the dancer can get along with the beat without looking odd. Yes, I do appreciate dancer who is devoting, who is dancing with the soul, so I love to see Carly in the 1st Street Dance striking hard in the quest of defining and defending her own style of dancing, and finally when the quest is over, she reaches the starting point for another journey to a boarder horizon. This is also my story, so I just have to love it.
The newer one, as I said tons of times before, I am not really into Salsa in this way. Eva in the film should have been a Latin dancer, even she taught the guy some tango the movie focused on Salsa. Therefore, it is expected that my rate for this won't be as high as the 2010's. Yes, it is true that I gave a lower score; however, it is not simply because 'it's not International style', but because of 'it's not elegant', I have a very simple logic that 'when it's not elegant, it's not charming'. Throughout the movie, Eva has been dressed all tattered and torn, I'd say she is more of a gypsy, Latin dance can be sensual, joyful, playful, mournful, passionate... depends on the kind of dance you are dancing, but... not exactly a random wanderer.
It seems to me Ash was a coward, as a victim of being lost in a previous battle, he became too scared to confront the team again recently. Without doing anything, the angel girl Eva appeared in the last minute, and saved him from losing again. Where is courage? Where is passion? Where is spirit? If it means that love can save a person from depression, then be like Carly and Tomas in the 1st one, love in a positive way. Lovers stand side by side, hand in hand, and together they are unbeatable.
Oh, a technical note. They (dancers in both movies) are all very good dancers. But that won't help when the plot is crap.