Review of Bring It On - In It To Win It

Introduction

Those who saw and enjoyed `Bring it on` may well have been persuaded to check out the second installment, only to discover that it was (predictably) a pale comparison with the original which, frankly, wasn`t `all that` in the first place. Then came the third installment, the most disappointing yet and a film that, as my teenage daughters assure me, shouldn`t even be mentioned in the same breath as the original. So here comes part four. And waddya know? It`s quite possibly the worst yet.

With every movie maker in town wanting a slice of the `High School Musical` phenomenon, you can see the influence creeping in here. It`s got less of the `street` about it than previous outings, and instead offers up an anodyne, flashing white teeth, saccharine sweet Disney style alternative all set in a Florida theme park.

So here`s the plot. (Look away now if you don`t want to be bored rigid). A cheerleading camp is being held at Universal Studios theme park and two of the squads are arch rivals who will do anything to win over the other. There`s the West Coast Sharks led by Carson (Ashley Benson) and the East Coast Jets. But guess what? Carson only goes and falls in love with one of the Jets dancers (don`t worry - it`s a boy) called `Penn`.

Cripes! Much snogging, dancing, hysteria and inane dialogue fill in the gaps and (phew) everything works out pretty well in the end after all.

Video

This is a digital transfer at 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. It all looks squeaky clean, probably mastered on HD video rather than 35mm.

Audio

Well, if nothing else then this certainly has a beefy Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There`s plenty of cheering and big bassy loud music which compensates to some degree for the film`s lack of anything more substantial in any other department.

Features

None on the check-disc though maybe the release proper will offer something up.

Conclusion

The `Bring It On` franchise continues on at a pace (this is the fourth installment) with this lightweight, time-eating piece of fluffy nothingness. I suppose once upon a time `straight to DVD` would have been seen as something to be ashamed of though now is clearly part of the grand master plan. I`m guessing that from the first production meeting on that this was never intended for anything other than home DVD and broadcast exploitation. Apart from the dubious appeal of seeing lots of pretty cheerleaders `cheer-leading` there is very little to recommend this thinly disguised advert for `Universal Studios` theme park in Florida, coincidentally the chosen location for this movie`s `cheerleading camp`.

My daughters thoroughly enjoyed the first `Bring it on` outing which had a modicum of narrative (winning against the odds etc) though each successive incarnation has been predictably less satisfying. This one left them positively glazed and confused. Not only that, its irritating title reminded me of that irritating ad for the national lottery which attempted to persuade the desperate and feeble minded that they might just be in luck. The odds of you enjoying this piece of plastic pap are roughly the same.

Bring It On - In it to Win it? Bin it.