DVD Review: Bring It On: All or Nothing

The cheerleaders with attitude and “spirit fingers” return for Bring It On: All or Nothing – a film that pretty much follows the same plot that was seen in the first film with little new material or real reason to watch. With that said, teenagers and fans of cheerleading/gymnastics will love this film thanks to the energy of the cast and impressive high flying routines.

The film stars Hayden Panettiere (NBC’s upcoming drama Heroes), Solange Knowles-Smith (Johnson’s Family Vacation and sister of singer Beyonce Knowles) and features an appearance by hit R&B singer Rihanna. The film was directed by Steve Rash (American Pie Presents Band Camp and Can’t Buy Me Love). The movie (which at times seems more like one long music video) features a blend of music from some of the industry’s top selling artists – including Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, and even Weezer.The movie sticks with what has worked in the past, and stays pretty predictable from beginning to end. The film follows cheerleader captain and most popular girl in school Britney (Panettiere) who is forced to transfer from the rich school of Pacific Vista and attend the “working-class poor” school of Crenshaw Heights. Poor Britney finds this out when her parents reveal that her dad lost his job and they have to downsize in their expenses. Her old squad holds some kind of cheerleader funeral for the departing Britney and she promises them that she will cheer no more.Arriving at Crenshaw Heights, Britney learns that she is stepping in to a whole new world, and that she is no longer the girl who rules the school. She is quickly challenged by three of the Crenshaw Heights cheerleaders – including captain Camille (Knowles-Smith), and has to struggle to find a way to win acceptance. This leads poor Britney to break her vow to her old squad and prove that she has the attitude and skills to belong on the Crenshaw Heights team.

Britney has to fight for Camille's respect

While Britney is finding her footing at Crenshaw Heights and exploring a possible new love interest with one of the male cheerleaders, her friends at Pacific Vista are suffering under the dictatorship of Winnie (Marcy Rylan) – the annoying new cheerleader captain who will stop at nothing to outshine Britney. Winnie not only wants her squad to be better than Britney’s, but she also wants Britney’s star quarterback boyfriend (who she easily gets) and what would have been her homecoming queen crown (who knew high school politics were this brutal). To achieve her lust for power, Winnie will break any rule (including the helicopter stunt cheer?) and will manipulate the other cheerleaders to get them hating Britney. The two squads are destined for a showdown (think High Noon but in cheerleader outfits) when it is announced that singer Rihanna will pick one squad at this year’s cheerleading competition to guest star in her video. The richer Pacific Vista is a sure win thanks to their money and discipline, but the Crenshaw Heights squad have one secret weapon tucked in their pom-poms. The squad develops a routine mixed with the edgy and street-style dance of Crumping (also spelled Krumping). As the competition approaches, the Crenshaw Heights team and Britney overcome their differences, and I can pretty much stop there because you know how it will turn out.Ok, I have obviously been having some fun with this review, and the movie did fail to impress me. With that said, I am sure its targeted audience will love this film, and be impressed with the slick choreography that is the real star of Bring It On. All of the actors do a decent job in their roles, but by the third Bring It On film, there isn’t much for them to work with in terms of development. This movie is meant to bring some laughs, have some impressive gymnastics, and mix in some street style dancing. It achieves all of that, and will no doubt be a hit with its targeted audience. I am not saying anyone over the age of 15 will hate the movie, but don’t expect too much.

The Crenshaw Heights squad brings its own style of dance

The DVD does come loaded with special features that fans of the movie will enjoy. The features include a gag reel – which has the actors falling, messing up lines, and basically goofing off; Cheer Camp: From Wannabe to Cheerleader – which shows the work that the actors had to put into learning the film’s cheers and choreography (and they had to work hard to learn it); Behind the Cheers – a look at what it took to bring the movie’s moves to the screen; Break It Down – a feature that those wanting to learn the movie’s dance routines will enjoy; and From the Street to the Set – an interview with the film’s choreography. Bring It On: All or Nothing fails to really bring anything original to the screen, and instead falls back on what has made the films successful in the past. It features a cast of forgettable characters, and not enough laughs or story to keep your interest. With that said, the movie does manage to maintain what made the first two films successful, and will entertain its targeted audience. Bring It On: All or Nothing is now available at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Sept. 4th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.