POPSCREEN: Beyoncé

The video for “Upgrade U” features short skirts, a celebrity collaboration, and a lizard on a leash. If only the camera gave a longer look at any one of these spectacles, we might have a good time.

As half of music’s most talked-about power couple, Beyoncé uses “Upgrade U” to remind her audience that she’s still an independent woman capable of creating her own chart-topping singles. While not a ground-breaking cinematic event, the video grabs the viewer’s attention and showcases Beyoncé’s talents.

Coming on the heels of “Irreplaceable,” the last single off of “B’Day,” this video returns to the bootylicious dancing and gyrating that made Beyoncé a household name. She doesn’t disappoint, popping and rolling through a dance sequence that capitalizes on the fast beat and fluid lyrics of “Upgrade U.”

In the video’s only truly innovative sequence, Beyoncé lip-syncs Jay-Z’s verse while dressed in his signature white shirt and jeans, and at one point she appears as both herself and Hova in the same frame. When Jay-Z finally does arrive, he successfully anchors the song until Beyoncé brings it home with one last defiant turn on the dance floor.

Unfortunately, the video sometimes falls flat. Technically, it moves too quickly between shots, leaving some scenes choppy and the viewer dizzy. The beginning set-up features Beyoncé lying suggestively in a pool, and doesn’t compliment the tempo of the song.

Nor is it ever clear why Beyoncé would want to climb into the trunk of a Rolls Royce, as she does for a few awkward moments.

Nevertheless, “Upgrade U,” with its infectious sound and eye-catching imagery, will satisfy fans and should convince most viewers to let Beyoncé upgrade them.