Of
all the films that I've sat through this summer, Bring it On was one that I really
expected to hate. To my surprise, I walked away with a smile on my face.
In
Bring it On, Kirsten Dunst (Interview with a Vampire), is the leader of an eager
cheerleading squad who suffers a major blow when she learns that many of her teams'
moves were actually copied from another squad, courtesy of their previous leader.
Through a lot of grueling work, Dunst sets out to prove that her team still has
what it takes to be the best.
Bring
it On is a harmless, if pretentious, high school comedy in the tradition of Clueless,
and last year's modeling satire Drop Dead Gorgeous. It greatly benefits from it's
spunky cast headed by Dunst, Eliza Dushku (TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and
the rival cheerleader squad featuring R&B group Blaque. Jesse Bradford is
also likable as the new object of Dunst's affection. Watch for Ian Roberts in
a hilarious bit as an abrasive choreographer.
Bring
it On also features actual cheerleaders and some of their routines are spectacular.
Earlier this year, we saw Center Stage, a film about professional dancing that
opened our eyes to the great physical demands involved. Similarly this film shows
cheerleadering as a passion that requires a good amount of athleticism. What these
cheerleading squads do is no small shake of a pom pom.
If
I have a complaint about Bring it On, it is it's lack of consistency. It starts
off quite satirical, but then backs off with cheesy sentimentality and typical
youth comedy humor. It would have been nice to see it maintain it's edge (like
in Election). As it stands, however, Bring it On isn't a bad film. It's peppy
and brisk and I'd certainly rather watch these cheerleaders than those boring
bartenders over at the Coyote Ugly.
