THE high-energy dance drama Stomp the Yard ends with a pertinent quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.

"Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."

Surely, it is also the goal of any half decent film and regrettably, there's very little intelligence or character in Robert Adetuyi's screenplay, based on an earlier script by Gregory Anderson.

The testosterone-fuelled college boys who flaunt their prowess in Sylvain White's film by "stepping" - the rhythmic team dancing made popular by African-American fraternities - spout cliches and seem content to live up (or should that be down) to their racial stereotypes.

A pivotal plot twist concerning the hero's family, a secret from their college days, warrants both laughter and groans of disbelief.

Cocksure Los Angeles street dancer DJ (Columbus Short) is part of a talented troupe with his little brother Duron (Chris Brown) who is the voice of reason when DJ's ambition and ego cloud his judgment.

After DJ bullies Duron into taking part in a dance contest and humiliating a rival gang on their home turf, tensions explode and the younger brother is gunned down.

Arrested by the police, DJ is sent to Atlanta to live with his authoritarian uncle (Harry J Lennix) and clucky aunt (Valarie Pettiford), who enrol him at the prestigious Truth University.

"I had to call in a favour to get you into this school. Don't make me look bad," says Nate, exuding the gruff attitude of a man who will clearly warm to his nephew before the two hours is up.

The dance sequences are briskly choreographed and director White, with a background in award-winning music videos and commercials, shoots each battle with as much visual panache as he can muster.

But all of the airborne theatrics mean very little when the characters performing the moves are two-dimensional.

  • See it at the Empire