SYNOPSIS:
Get ready for more fun, attitude and excitement in this all-new
comedy! When popular Britney Allen moves from posh Pacific Vista
to working-class Crenshaw Heights, her life goes from cheer-topia
to cheer-tastrophe. Britney finds herself at odds with her new
classmates, especially head cheerleader Camille. But when she
wins a spot on the cheer squad and faces her former team in
a cross-town cheer-off to star in music sensation Rihanna's
upcoming video, only one team can 'bring it' and earn a place
in cheer history!
MOVIE
REVIEW :
There
are movies that boys would be ashamed to say that they enjoy.
Peyton Reed’s Bring It On (2000) is definitely one of
them. Incidentally, it is also one of the most enjoyable guilty
pleasures of this reviewer’s of all time. While the
rest of the world went on to hate Kirsten Dunst, she remained
one of the cutest girls in this reviewer’s memory.
Then came
the movie’s two sequels Bring It On Again (2004); and
this latest installment to the series. Both never made it
to the big screen. Both do not star big Hollywood names. While
there is a very high probability of dissing this straight-to-video
release, it is surprisingly pleasantly enjoyable.
Britney,
your typical white stuck-up blonde, moves from a comfortable
Pacific Vista to a multi-ethnic working class district, the
former cheerleading captain finds herself torn between friendships,
loyalty and what it means to be true to yourself.
What a
girly plot, we hear you say? Well, the flick was never meant
to be taken seriously in the first place anyway. We do not
even care about the predictable storyline and the stereotypical
characters. As long as it is fun to watch, we will not be
prudes.
The 98-minute
movie is fun from beginning to end, with familiar pop songs
accompanying the scenes. While the choreography may not be
as exciting as the original 2000 movie, they are still enjoyably
executed. And those cheerleader smiles, they have the power
to brighten up anyone’s day.
The cast
of this movie are mostly unknowns, having only acted in television
serials. Hayden Panettiere effortlessly plays her character
with a fine balance of bitchiness and cuteness. While it may
not be Oscar material, it is what you’d expect on, yes,
a television drama.
The rest
of the typical roles in a cheerleading movie are filled up
by a team of eye-pleasing youngsters. Black singer Rihanna
(probably not much heard of in our region) plays herself in
the finale cheerleading match.
This brings
us to the next point, where the movie does attempt to explore
some class and racial issues. Though not done in-depth, they
are enough for viewers to realize the point being brought
across. Besides, there is no need to be all to serious for
a movie like that.
One particular aspect of the movie which may not go down to
well with our oh-so-serious educators though: there is this
interesting thing about using IM (instant messaging, in case
you didn’t know) language in much of the movie’s
dialogue. It seems to be a really hip and happening way of
talking to your friends.
Check
out all this phrases: LOL, MYOB, FYI, MYSM and BFF. If you
know what they all stand for, then this movie is definitely
for you.
If
not, you’d have to spend some time catching up with
your lost youth, like this reviewer here.
SPECIAL
FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD has no extra features, not even any trace
of a trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
For
a straight-to-video release like that, the visual transfer
need not be top-notch, so it does just fine. For a more amusing
experience, you can choose to listen to the cheers in either
English Dolby 5.1, Japanese 5.1 or Thai 5.1.
MOVIE
RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
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