| Product: |
Bring It On (DVD) |
| Date: |
04/04/04 (1170 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: So much fun, great dance sequences, good acting
Disadvantages: None for me personally.
When I want to watch a movie of nothing but fun I put on the first DVD I ever bought. ?Bring it on?. This film never fails to put a smile on my face because it?s just plain and simply, fun on film. I was born an American but raised a Brit. My mother was a cheerleader and she tells me fabulous tales of cheering for the football team. God she knows how to make me jealous, as I would have loved to have been a cheerleader! They don?t even exist in this country! Not fair! Oh well what can I do? Well just watch ?Bring it on? of course, at least I can see how cool it looks to be a cheerleader! I remember when this film first came out! I was as excited as anything! The first day it came out I dragged my best friend to see it, who wasn?t amused but watching girls in cheerleader outfits kept him entertained throughout, no idea why!
The movie begins with blonde and bubbly Torrance Shipman being handed the reigns of the 5-time champion cheerleading squad the Toro?s by the departing head cheerleader Big Red. Torrance?s teammates, catty Whitney and Courtney aren?t thrilled they were beaten to the top by her, but her boyfriend Aaron (also a cheerleader, yes they have male cheerleaders) is very supportive but also leaving for college. You might think this is any old cheerleading squad but that?s where you?d be wrong. Instead of cheering for their football teams, they enter national cheerleading contests, as Torrance puts it, no beams, no bars but their gymnasts too. (My, haven?t times changed mother??)
Anyway on her first day as captain Torrance decides to push the squad to the limit, which only results in one of the main female cheerleaders breaking her leg in three places. It?s time for Torrance to find a suitable replacement, but try outs are disastrous, that is until Missy Pant
one walks in and wows the squad with her gymnastics, all except Courtney and Whitney who drive her away with their bitchy comments. Torrance convinces Missy to join the squad and when Missy does she realises the Toro?s award winning cheers are actually stolen from a much hipper squad, the East Compton Clovers who are from a bad area and simply never get the chance to shine due to the lack of funds. Apparently Miss Big Red has been stealing their routines for years but all that?s about to change as the head of the Clovers, Isis is no longer going to put up with her squads cheers being stolen. The competition is nearing and Torrance refuses to use a stolen cheer but her squad aren?t particularly thrilled about having to learn a new routine in so little time. Missy?s brother Cliff also has a thing for Torrance and she obviously feels the same way but there?s just one tiny little detail. Her stupid college boyfriend Aaron.
The mix of different characters really makes this film likeable. We have the bubbly heroine, but as well as that we have the not so cheery cheerleader Missy, as well as some bitchy cheerleaders thrown in for good measure. There was always one character that would appeal to you and that?s what made this film fun to watch. My favourite characters were probably Courtney and Whitney, as they had nothing but bitchy things to say but as well as that they were always funny. And I liked Cliff for obvious reasons too! Oh and Torrance of course!
A lot of peoples pre conception about this movie would be, oh it?s just a movie about a bunch of scantily clad teenage bimbo?s jumping up and down for attention but trust me, it?s not as exploitive as you?d think. Really. Yes they do wear cheerleading outfits and jump around but it?s all in good fun. I know a lot of people wouldn?t expect a movie abou
t Cheerleaders and nothing but to be in the slightest interesting but the writers make it work. I thought this film was bright, funny and cute. The tone of this movie reminded me of another teen movie classic ?Clueless? as it?s light and not really to be taken seriously but still thoroughly enjoyable. The story wasn?t amazing but considering most teen movies consist of girl likes boy, girl gets make over, girl and boy live happily ever after, I thought this movie was original in that sense. I liked the way the story was simple, but fun at the same time, I was also glad it had a really bright atmosphere. Also the dance sequences were amazing, definitely a plus about this movie. I was impressed to learn that hip-hop choreographer Hi-hat choreographed the Clovers very inventive routines.
Kirsten Dunst is bright, fun and bubbly in this film, just like she should be. Why does she continue to get slack for apparently putting in a poor performance in this movie? You cannot compare her performance in this to the ones in ?Little Women? or ?Interview with the vampire?. This role obviously required something light-hearted, fun and not too serious and Kirsten was right on the mark. Yes sometimes she was quite silly, but that?s what the character was like, I thought she did a good job, but remember it?s a teen movie so don?t expect anything amazing. Other good performances came from Gabrielle Union who played Isis. She played Isis as a bit of a tough chick, but at the same time it was easy to understand why she was so mad the Toro?s, you weren?t just thinking of her as the baddie of the film, which would be easy to do if she were any bitchier, but thankfully she wasn?t. Funny performances came from Clare Kramer and Nicole Bilderback who played the token bitchy cheerleaders, yes their characters were bordering on stereotype but they
were still funny. Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford played on screen siblings Missy and Cliff, and I thought they were both great, it was very easy to understand why Torrance was attracted to Cliff ;)
?Bring it on? was directed by Peyton Reed who is a bit of a newcomer to feature length movies. Since this though he has gone on to direct ?Down with love? starring Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger. I think he?s directed a great movie and I have to say I love his lighthearted style. The tone of the movie was kept fun throughout and that?s what made this film enjoyable.
The movie has its hilarious moments, there are bits that just make me laugh out loud and thankfully it isn?t a gross out comedy either. I find that a lot of teen movies rely on stupidity to keep the audience in fits of laughter but ?Bring it on? manages to be funny, but also serious when it wants to be. Ok not that serious but they are entering a cheerleading competition and for that you don?t mind actually taking them seriously for that aspect of the movie.
Overall I think this is a great teen movie worth watching if you?re looking for nothing serious but something fun. The performances are very good, but don?t expect anything spectacular. I think this movie is a must for teen movie fans as it?s everything a teen movie should be in my opinion. I?d recommend this movie to anyone who loves teen movies because it?s just so happy! It may not have a magnificent storyline but it?s original in its own way. The movie in my opinion is just very enjoyable, it would definitely be a good watch for teenagers but I reckon it would satisfy an older audience too. The movie was so successful that it had a brilliantly titled (NOT) straight to video sequel called ?Bring it on, again? which, before you ask none of the original characters
returned in. I?m sure they could have come up with something better. Adding the word ?Again? is not big and it?s not clever. I really doubt I?ll be bothering with that; the title alone has put me off!
CAST~~
Kirsten Dunst ? Torrance Shipman
Eliza Dushku - Missy Pantone
Jesse Bradford ? Cliff Pantone
Gabrielle Union ? Isis
Clare Kramer ? Courtney
Nicole Bilderback - Whitney
Tsianina Joelson ? Darcy
Rini Bell ? Kasey
Nathan West ? Jan
Huntley Ritter - Les
Lindsay Sloane ? Big Red
DIRECTOR~~
Peyton Reed
CERTIFICA& #84;E~~
12
RUNTIME~~
98 min
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