It’s like we always say: whether a movie is good or bad is irrelevant when compared to its opening weekend box office. The Step Up franchise is a perfect example. Step Up 2 the Streets was on par with direct to video movies as far as quality goes, but an almost thirty million dollar opening on President’s Day weekend has purchased the movie a third picture.

Since the second movie basically took the first flick and reversed the key roles, the third movie is desperately in need of some sort of gimmick to help sell it. What better a gimmick than the currently mega-popular trend of 3-D. Variety reports that Disney is moving forward with Step Up 3-D, allowing the movie to take a new ridiculously long dance sequence and put it right in the audience’s faces.

Unfortunately, first director Anne Fletcher appears to be staying away from the franchise she originated. Instead it appears Step Up 2 the Streets director Jon Chu is most likely returning for the third chapter. What a shame. Chu managed to take a guilty pleasure flick and churn out a listless sequel with nothing enjoyable to it at all, guilty or otherwise.

Even the dance sequences that made the first movie fun were lacking in Step Up 2, and I’m not sure adding 3-D effects could save those. I’d almost rather they digitally augment the first Step Up and just release that in 3-D. At least we know it’s entertaining, and I doubt there are many girls out there who wouldn’t want to see Channing Tatum popping off the screen at them.