Cloud 9

Do not watch this movie. There are 2 reasons for that:

1. It is so boring that it tops the list of the most boring films ever made. It felt at some points that is is a porno film, but when any girl got half naked the scene ended. The level of the dialogs remain though at the level of porno films.

2. Strippers are couched to be volleyball players. I really feel that it undermines the dedication and the amount of work needed to be a professional athlete.

This is a porn movie with a lame plot that characterizes porn movies in general, but with all the "skin parts" removed. It's a huge waste of time! They should pay me for the time I spent watching this (even so I wouldn't do it again).

White trash beach volleyball extravaganza. Definitely a straight-to-video kind of thing, with many, many dodgy characters. The one dodgier than the next. Starts off in a way that I cringe at the sight of this amateur-looking thing posing as the afternoon's entertainment. But it does get better, the girls carry it. No credit to Burt. But it does get a whole lot better, they do manage to carry this off, against all odds, just like the volleyball team in the movie.

Forget about Burt Reynolds. Forget about Gabrielle Reece. Forget about the volleyball too. The poster should have been of Marnette and Katheryn. I didn't buy this DVD for any other reason. I knew the movie was going to be stupid, I downloaded that first stretch, and with aging Burt Reynolds in it, I didn't even need the clue. I just checked up on the girls before buying, and by the time the downloaded bit hit that leggy dressing room scene, that was all I needed to see. I am possibly one of Marnette Patterson's craziest nuts-about- her fans, and I collect all her movies, ever since stumbling across her (oh, I wish) in the final season of otherwise off-putting CHARMED, and Katheryn, a hot fiery chick with cute attitude, was magnificent in her one-off appearance as Kelly in "Partners", an episode of NIKITA, also LOVE & OTHER DRUGS in which she had a small but attractive part.

Needless to regale, they appear in this movie as strippers- turned-show-volleyball-players. Both of them do not only look good in a bikini, they are out-of-this-world drop dead gorgeous with toned and not tanned bodies, sculpted to perfection, I mean, not an iota of fat on those two, sleeker tummies than those are impossible. They are so beautiful they hurt to look at, but in a good way. They also do a fine job portraying their loopy characters. Katheryn is Russian import Olga messing with the English language ('wally ball'), and Marnette is sweet Crystal, you know, in the Pamela Anderson mold.

If you're terminally into pretty actresses, like me, this is for you. Otherwise stay away. Movie has D-U-M-B written all over it. Especially as you wade in, reluctantly, 'cause the thing's off-putting the way it starts. Infuriatingly thick-headed and dense guy alert, the movie teems with them. Oh, and Burt is here because he's a big name, he isn't even remotely the slick wily old rogue character he is supposed to be portraying.

But it does get better. Like a loser team managing to score. Come on, it's a train-wreck, but there are some damn fine moments. They all involve Grade A flesh.

Okay, and finally, no longer ignoring Gabrielle Reece. I am not qualified to comment, I know too little, but I wonder how much of the acting was the for-real person? I'll bet that's Gabrielle in real life! Come on, in real life, those girls are neither prostitutes nor strippers, only cute actresses, but Gabrielle is definitely the product of steroids. Definitely. Okayyyy, perhaps not, but from her looks... And volleyball appears to be a spectator fun sport. Do we need a...??? Don't we rather need bikini beauties?

My review seems to be wandering between like and dislike. While there are loads to dislike, there is more to like. Let me try once more:

Movie summed up: You'll end up cheering for them! And that says a whole lot!

I saw this movie and it was terrible. Not only does it not show any skin from the female volleyball players (which it should) but the acting is horrible. I expected a train wreck with some skin but what I got was a train wreck with no skin. Picture a script from Skinamaxs (Cinemax) which has horrible storyline but with no skin. Burt does a horrible job acting in this film and the girls can't act to save their lives!! Angie Everhart playing an uptight stripper seems kind of crazy to me and Hugley was H O R R I B L E in this film then again he's pretty much horrible in all the movies he's in. My advice , unless u get a free view of this film stay away.

A likable conman living in a small trailer on the coast of Malibu (Burt Reynolds) gets the bright idea to form a volleyball team from the exotic dancers who work at a local nightclub called Cloud 9. But what will happen when the girls compete with Olympic level players? D.L. Hughley plays his black "son" and Paul Rodriguez the dubious coach of the team. Meanwhile Angie Everhart and Gabrielle Reece appear as rival players.

"Cloud 9" (2006) is an amusing Southern Cal beach flick featuring volleyball and several good-lookin' ladies. It never set out to be "Gandhi." Yeah, the humor is often eye-rolling or falls flat, but it is a fun flick and there were three times that I laughed out loud. Despite the attractive females and exotic dancer angle, the movie thankfully avoids raunchiness and delivers a good message.

My two favorite females in the cast are Katheryn Winnick as Olga and the curvy brunette who plays with Gabrielle Reece. The other volleyball girls include: Marnette Patterson (Crystal), Patricia De Leon (Corazon) and Kenya Moore (Champagne).

The film runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in Malibu, California.

GRADE: B-/C+

I liked it. It could have been much worse and turned into an unexpected drama. It could have dropped the nudity and went for more laughs.

Let's see. It has gratuitous nudity since the girls were strippers before becoming volleyball players. Famous/Infamous actors to grab your attention. The movie even has a moral.

"Never judge a book by it's cover." I think it applied that at least twice.

1) The strippers weren't really appreciated as volleyball players until they buckled down and learned to play. Then, people had to acknowledge skills and talent above previous job history and beauty.

2) Burt's character seemed completely money-oriented and somewhat heartless but his conscience was in there, hiding. After humiliating the girls in a muddy volleyball game, he realized how much suffering they were willing to go through to be "real" volleyball players.

Overall, it was a little better than average and a fun movie to pass an evening by. Yes, there are much better movies BUT there are also much worse ones out there.