Official Synopsis:
Get ready for fun, attitude and excitement in this all-new comedy! When popular Britney Allen (Hayden Panettiere) 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 (Solange Knowles-Smith). 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!
Our Take:
There's really not too much to these Bring It On films unless you’re a teenager or a cheerleading fan (or a teenaged cheerleading fan), but there is one thing that makes Bring It On: All Or Nothing work really well: Hayden Panattiere. For a girl who's been relegated for most of her career so far to playing cheerleaders and ice skaters, the girl is actually pretty talented. And although she does do a few cringe-inducing things throughout the movie (the street-style dance/cheerleading stuff is pretty painful), she's easily the best thing about the film. I can't wait to see what she can do with a dramatic role like her upcoming turn in NBC's fall drama Heroes (in which she plays... wait for it... a cheerleader.)
Beyonce's sister, Solange Knowles, is also along for the ride, but she plays a pretty paper-thin, stereotype-laden character, so while she's serviceable, it's pretty clear she got the role more for being Beyonce's sister than for her acting talent. Still, even though the film is utterly predictable, there is a certain amount of fun and a sense that it doesn't take itself too seriously, which is always nice. The cast is decent, the choreography is good, and the soundtrack is rife with popular music (Weezer, All American Rejects, Gwen Stefani, and Rihanna to name just a few), so the 90-minute running time goes by pretty quickly.
The DVD release for Bring It On: All Or Nothing includes a handful of extra features, including:
* Gag Reel (11 minutes) - An amusing collection of bloopers, many of which involve cheering and gymnastic mistakes and many of which involve Hayden Panattiere making faces.
* Behind The Cheers (8 minutes) - A look at the making of the film. Features interviews with much of the cast.
* Cheer Camp: From Wannabes To Cheerleader (7 minutes) - We get to see how the cast learned to cheer.
* Break It Down (19 minutes) - Choreographer Tony G. and some of the cast teach you how to cheer. Spirit fingers!
* From The Street To The Set (5 minutes) - A look at the street aspect of the newest Bring It On movie.
Bring It On: All Or Nothing is a relatively fun film that should completely satisfy the age group it's setting out to satisfy.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B
DVD: B+
- Mike Spring
Editor
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