As Apimentadas: Mandando Ver

I didn't expect much from Bring It On Again. In fact, I only watched it because I was under the impression that Jaime Pressly was in it, which was not the case (OK, so I confused Bring It On Again with Not Another Teen Movie - can you blame me?). But I kept watching, despite the "poor man's Reese Witherspoon" in the lead. And lo and behold, the movie is actually nowhere near as bad as people here have been claiming. It is more of a comedy than the first movie, and there is one big thing that ties it together with the first movie, which I think most people have overlooked: Both movies are saying that cheer-leading is NOT COOL. Both movies are going out of their way to show that cheer-leading is as shallow as anything can be, and clearly pointing to a dozen other things that are far cooler, but which happen not to be the focus of this particular comedy. That's actually pretty funny. These movies are not as empty-headed as they first seem.

The lead girl in the sequel first struck me as very boring in a "girl next door" type of way, but I have to admit she grew into the part very well and achieved the confidence of character to come across as a convincingly cool cheerleader (in the comedy setting, I mean) towards the end. Ultimately, she was an actress rather than just a pretty face, and that is to be commended, considering that this was a mere straight-to-video release. Somebody in the production team actually had the ambition to create a quite serious, well-written, well-structured piece of work - and they succeeded.

I rated the first movie a 7, and this one, surprisingly, qualifies for as much as a 6, despite the ludicrous end performance (apparently comprised by an almost entirely new team). It was fun. Quite an achievement, all things considered.

BAD BAD BAD! Sorry to anyone who thought this was a GOOD movie.. Hardly Believable, and compared to the fun fast pace of the First BRING IT ON, this one lacks..EVERYTHING! There was a lot of attempts at Copy-Catting the Original..We had the opening "Dream" and then there was a "Locker room scene" And there was a "Try Out" ... lastly a "competition" ... ugh...futile attempt. IMO: Sequels should NOT be made if the original Screen Writer didn't contribute, Very Important...DIRECTOR...The Original director was great! All the scenes were LIGHT...no squinting at dark scenes. Lastly, original Actors/Actresses, and if they don't participate...At least get actors/Actresses people can actually LIKE. Sorry, but Bring It On Again just didn't have Anything...Where was all the REAL Cheer leading??(noting: Exception of the "Competition") They expect the audience to Believe that a couple of disgruntled cheerleaders can have a "try out" get a bunch of activists together and uh Bribe them with the Winnings into suddenly being able to do all the moves and flips and such that Competing cheer leaders do? Sorry...Not Even. In the Immortal words of Missy....GIVE IT UP ALREADY!!

Don't be mislead by the title, because other than cheerleading, this movie has little (actually, nothing) to do with "Bring It On". However, I only say that so that you won't be disappointed if you were expecting it to tie in.

That said, this movie is a lot of fun, and has some great lines and superb actors. It's got more in common with "Animal House" and "Revenge of the Nerds", plot-wise, and what it lacks in character development, it makes up for in spirit, and a charming innocence.

Whittier is both nervous and excited. She's just made it onto the BEST cheer leading squad (best in WHAT is never clarified). Unfortunately, the captain is rude and cruel to the other cheerleaders, so she and her best friend Monica decide to create their own squad and have a cheer off to see who will go to nationals. At the same time she is falling for the shaggy Derrick who could be perfect for her.

From the beginning this film annoyed me. The lead girl is too naive and impressionable - after one talk with her "head cheerleader" she decides to cut down on her calories and ridicule her friends - even drop them for acceptance. (Don't most girls grow out of that by college?) When she finally stands up for herself, you'll wonder what took so long, and why she felt the need to strip to make her point.

The acting is okay at best, especially from the lead, who is out shined by the girls playing her best friend and her adversary. The "comedy" is minimal, with the gag of Penelope getting hurt being very overdone. The ending was predictable and completely unrealistic as well.

This film left me with a few questions:

*What was with the constant costuming of Whittier in yellow? *Why did the guy playing the mascot beat box to the costume head before going out onstage?

*Where did the new squad find the funding to get matching uniforms and how did they manage to unify their routine within two days?

Overall:

This is nothing more than mundane teen drivel. It's an unnecessary sequel trying to cash in on the success of it's predecessor. The acting is poor and the ending unrealistic and predictable. Skip this lame flick - you're not missing anything.

This movie was direct to video release which should tell you right away it lacks a little compared to the success of the first film. Also, the cast are all nobody's (no offense) unlike the great teeny bopper cast of the first (some offense there)

Aside from all of that the movie really isn't terrible. If you are into cheerleading you'll most likely enjoy it. The acting is average, the "story" is pretty weak, but the cheering is very good.

If you're a fan of Bring it On then watch this one, just check your expectations at the door. I rate it a 5 out of 10.