Stomp the Yard

I'm often baffled at the ratings that some of the movies end up with out here. This movie is far better than a 3+. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the very beginning, but what I did see was entertaining and well-acted, just what one would usually expect from a film of any sort. Sure, the story's been told, as most stories have, but they all have something a little unique to offer. The dance sequences weren't necessarily awe-inspiring, but they also weren't drawn out so long as to bore you. All in all, I enjoyed this picture. My perspective comes from that of a middle-aged white guy, so it might be quite different from yours.

STOMP THE YARD comes as a pleasant surprise to those of us who have yet to be introduced to 'stepping' - a sport/dance form that is not break dancing, not hip-hop, not modern dance, not clogging, not ballet, but instead is an exhilarating display of rhythm, physical dexterity, and creative choreography that makes this little film well worth watching.

The story is minimal and hackneyed and serves basically as an outline for the dance performances. DJ (the enormously talented dancer/actor Columbus Short) is sent from Los Angeles to Atlanta's Truth University after his conviction for street brawling, a fight in which his brother (Chris Brown) was killed. Once on campus DJ is works for his uncle as a gardener and is soon courted for his step dance skills by two rival fraternities. One fraternity gains DJ's attention and he pledges. Of course there is the requisite love conflict (the beautiful Meagan Good as April), who just happens to be the girlfriend of the rival fraternity step leader (Darrin Henson), and the usual undercurrent of familial dichotomies between DJ's humble background and April's influential father bring the tension to the front: the result is DJ's triumphant performance in the annual stepping competition between the two fraternities. The ending is predictable but sensitive and with a message.

The real star of the film is the magnificently choreographed and executed dancing, performed by the actual cast members. Director Sylvain White and his choreographers center their attention on the big sequences and the result is very fine entertainment. In addition to the gifted Columbus Short and Darrin Henson the cast includes such fine actor/dancers as Brian J. White, Ne-Yo, Laz Alonzo, Oliver Ryan Best, Richmond Duain Martyn, Justin Hires, and many others. It is difficult to resist the excitement of the commitment of this fine cast to the introduction of step dancing to the public at large. So much talent! Grady Harp

From the opening battle scene in Los Angeles to the heart-pumping wanna get up and cheer/dance nationals competition in the end, Stomp the Yard was, although somewhat cliché, a pretty impressive movie. The acting (which seeing a movie similar to this-You Got Served that had horrible acting) was better than expected. The step battles were a feast for the senses and really showcased the extreme talent of the competitors. With a plot line fairly similar to other leave one dangerous city to go to Atlanta and be successful movies, one would assume you would have nothing new to learn, which is mostly true, so avoid it if you have something against this genre. Other than that, if you are looking for a movie to surpass the typical crap that is released in January and don't mind a recycled plot (done a little better this time of course) see Stomp the Yard.

I can't believe this is sitting with a 3 rating?! I found the dancing/choreography fascinating not to mention the eye candy element and just the logistics of how they do those moves? I had not seen the actor who played DJ previously but found him quite capable as was the female lead.

Plot-wise vaguely reminiscent of Save the Last Dance.

I don't know what people that rated this low were expecting - my thought is that "the dance" was the main point of the whole movie and entertainment enough in itself. The plot elements were somewhat predictable yet with a little twist I was not expecting & overall I thought the movie progressed well as opposed to movies that have long, drawn out plot development.

Perfect for those of us with A.D.D. ;)

My friends and i rented this movie because there was nothing else and we thought it would be a good laugh to make fun of it. Although the facial expressions gave us that,it was also fairly good. The storyline was good and kept us interested. The acting was also good considering that most of them were musicians. Although it is a mix of you got served and drumline, it still brings something different to the table. It made us want to get up and dance. I would recommend this movie to anyone with an open mind who likes a good dance movie. I give this film a 7/10 and i plan on buying it on DVD. If you go in it with low expectations you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised.