Bring It On (2000)
Grade: B-
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Gabrielle Union, and Jesse Bradford
Director: Peyton Reed
Rated PG-13 for language and sexual innuendo


I'd like to begin with some quote from the film:

"Let's beat these buffies down so I can go home."

For about the first half hour of "Bring It On," I shared those sentiments exactly. This film had everything in the first half hour that should never be put in any teen film: the bubbly, obnoxious, vapid cheerleader, a school full of only rich students, gay jokes, and a misrepresentation of high school. Gratned, not everything in the film's opening is bad. It does open with a truthful and scathing cheer that is perfectly delivered and acted.

"I'm popular, I'm hot. I'm everything you're not!"

Yes, they are popular. Yes, they are hot. But they are also portrayed as being incredibly moronic and dumb. In most schools, you have to have at least a 'B' average to remain on this squad, however (with the exception of Eliza Dushku's Missy), the girls in Bring It On would not even come close. Most cheerleaders I know actually have some brains in their head.

"...cheerleaders are just dancers who have gone retarded..."

This line comes at a particularly funny point in the film. It had just started to shed some clichés, and had started to get good. However, it's all seriously undermined by an overblown, and almost offensive portrayal of a MALE choreographer...who just may or not be gay. Although, the film's script leans heavily toward the former. That's one of the film's main problems. Almost every male who is a cheerleader/dancer/choreographer/etc... is shown as being gay, or having the stereotypical signs of being gay.

Now, I'll get down to business.

The film's story is a mixture of sorts. It's a teen comedy, it's a sports drama, and a film about friendship. You'd think, with all of these different stories going on, it would be a little convoluted. But it's not, the film always knows what it's doing, and knows what it wants to be. At times, it's fun and fluffy. At others, it's more serious in tone (but the film never ever actually gets serious). It also has themes about doing the right thing, and rectifying the wrongs that have been done before you. It's not just your basic teen film . It sprinkles in some "words of the wise" moments.

As much as I didn't really want to see "Bring It On," I ended up liking it for some reason. I was never totally impressed as I was watching it, but after the experience was over, I had a certain fondness for the film. I liked that it didn't follow the "main characters must win because the movie is about them" routine. That alone sets it apart from the hundreds of other teen movies to hit the screens lately.

Not only is the story extremely likeable, but so are the (to my surprise) characters. Now, Kirsten Dunst's character doesn't really have any inner-turmoil or petty things to work out, but just watching Dunst move around the screen and display her comic talents is enough for me. It's not only her, but Eliza Dushku as well. Dushku (from the WB's "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer") plays that all too well known "too cool for school" character. She's the voice of truth amongst a cast of teenyboppers. Jesse Bradford plays Dushku's brother who falls for Dunst's character. Though the romance is predictable, but it has the sweetness of "10 Things I Hate About You" mixed in to make it pretty bearable.

The script is at times, smart and sassy. At others, it's considerably less. But when the film is of this nature, you can't hope for Shakespeare. Some of the jokes are of the gross-out fare (ala "Scary Movie" and "American Pie"), but most of the laughs aim low and score direct hits (targets include the intelligence of cheerleaders). The film often had the other audience members and I laughing, even if some of the humor was kind of obvious.

All in all, I think this film is hundreds of steps above other teen offerings such as "Down To You," but not quite as good as "10 Things I Hate About You." As a sports film, it never really reaches the caliber of "Field of Dreams," but it's much better than the trite "For Love of the Game" or the stereotype-embracing "Play It To the Bone." But, just as a film, it's definitely okay. I really recommend it if you're in the mood for a lighthearted comedy.


-Brian Jones, July 2002