Bring It On (2000) 1 1/2 stars out of 4.. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and Gabrielle Union. Written by Jessica Bendinger. Directed by Peyton Reed. Rated PG-13.
Probably the one saving grace of "Bring It On" is its sincerity.
After all, this is a story about cheerleaders - usually a target of cinematic ridicule - and their struggles to make it to the national championships in Orlando, Fla.
Admittedly, the plot isn't "War and Peace." This is just a silly, formulaic movie with stock characters who are pretty to ogle.
The photography is well lit, the film's score is bouncy and the cast plays it straight. It avoids the pitfalls of tackiness and sexism.
The story centers around the Rancho Carne High School cheerleading squad in San Diego. The squad has won the national championship five consecutive years. Now, under the leadership of newly appointed captain Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst), the Toros squad will shoot for title No. 6.
But Torrence makes a disturbing discovery. The squad's routines had been stolen from the Clovers, a hip-hop squad from East Compton, by the Toros' former captain.
Thus Torrance must create enough confidence in herself and her squad's abilities to devise all new routines to carry them to the championship.
Meanwhile Isis (Gabrielle Union), the driven captain of the Clovers, must concoct a way for her squad to raise money to attend the nationals so they can gain the recognition they so richly deserve.
"Bring It On" does have a certain innocent charm to it, despite its PG-13 rating. The sexual innuendo is limited to the cheerleading routines.
The movie's main flaw is that most of the characters, especially the Toros girls, are types.
But this is not the fault of the performers, but of writer Jessica Bendinger.
Dunst, who made a startling film debut in "Interview With the Vampire," and since then has gone on to do fine work in such films as "Little Women," "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and the made-for-cable drama "Devil's Arithmetic," is smart, honest and inventive as Torrance.
the school has no gymnastics program. Dushku, best known for her role as Faith in WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," plays Torrance's new best friend who opens her eyes to the Toros' former captain's perfidy.
Acting honors, though, go to Union as the tough, self-sufficient Isis who fights to bring her squad to the nationals.
"Bring It On" is very lightweight fare. Honestly, who takes cheerleading - or cheerleaders - seriously. The good folks at Universal, though, in trying to emphasize the importance of cheerleading enclosed a fact sheet in the press kit that includes a list of famous people who were cheerleaders. Among the names, Madonna, Kathie Lee Gifford, Donna Rice, Alicia Silverstone, Meryl Streep, Paula Adbul, Halle Berry and Sheryl Crow.
Come on, studio folks. It's only a movie - loud, colorful, but feathery, with limited appeal for those who believe cheerleading is the alpha and omega of their existence.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier. in Lafayette, IN He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net Reviews by Bloom can be found on the Internet Movie Database at: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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