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Reviews:
Smells
Like Teen Spirit: Bring It On
by Christian De Matteo
Solid
Okay, so you’re wondering who forced me
to see this film, right?
Or did he just take one for the team to
have another review for the site?
Neither is the case; it was a late night,
alone at a friend’s house, I looked through
her DVD collection and figured a guy could do
worse than hot chicks jumping around in short
skirts. Am
I wrong? Am
I wrong, dude?
I’m not wrong, man, I’m just
an…anyway.
I’ve heard some praise for the film in
the past and found it was, in fact, warranted
praise. Aimed
at teens, specifically girls but also guys by
way of the eye candy, the movie shows that just
because a film is aimed at adolescent girls,
doesn’t mean it has to be melodramatic,
boy-crazy garbage.
Director Peyton Reed does a fine job of
melding the cheerleading drama with cheerleading
comedy (often self-mocking without being
depreciating), including some black comedy
moments. (For
those of you uninitiated, “black” comedy
doesn’t mean the Cosby Show, it’s black as
in “dark”.)
The film is one of those you’ll have a
smile on your face most of the way through,
maybe even laugh out loud at some of the jokes,
and maybe feel the tiniest bit of
intrigue if you’re over 16.
If you’re under 16 and female, you may
feel a bit edge-of-your-seat during the finale,
but don’t worry, you’ll outgrow that soon
and be as cynical as the rest of us.
The dialogue is fine for what it is,
never brilliant but always acceptable and fun.
The acting is actually quiet good, with a
team of fine actresses playing their parts very
convincingly.
Kirsten Dunst (crazy/beautiful) is
excellent (as well as beautiful) as the lead and
is complimented excellently by Eliza Dushko (This
Boy’s Life, TVs Buffy the Vampire
Slayer) who does an excellent job, and is
very hot as far as I’m concerned.
Don’t run to the store to rent this,
but if you ever find yourself watching it, just
enjoy, because it’s an enjoyable teen movie,
proving it can be done.
(For the antithesis of enjoyable teen
cinema, see the horrific Empire Records,
a film that assumes teenagers are incapable of
thought.)
And
guys, worst-case scenario, hold out for the car
wash scene.
Oh, yeah.
DVD Update
Universal
does an excellent job gathering fun extras for
the DVD release of Bring It On.
The disc has: director’s commentary, as
well as commentary on deleted and extended
scenes, which are interesting even as far as
filmmaking goes; an 8MM version of the car wash
scene; cast and crew bios; a music video by
Blaque; and a few other bonuses. The deleted scenes are very good, especially some alternate
ending material and an after-the-credits
possibility I wish they’d gone with.
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