Plot: What’s it about?
An elite level cheerleading camp is being held at Universal Studios, which should thrill those invited, with all the fun in the sun and what not. But these girls have more to think about than enjoying theme parks or catching some waves, as these cheerleaders are all business. Especially for two of the squads, the Sharks from the West Coast led by Carson (Ashley Benson) and the East Coast Jets, who are bitter rivals in the world of cheer. But when Carson falls head over heels for Jets dancer Penn (Michael Capone), the already thick tension gets turned up a notch or two. Now as the Jets and Sharks prepare to clash with the camp’s highest honor on the line, will the emotions hit a boiling point?
Universal’s trend of direct to video sequels continues, as the American Pie and Bring It On franchises seem to show no signs of slowing down. In It to Win It is the fourth Bring It On movie and stays true to the previous installments, which means sassy, slutty cheerleaders galore. But to be fair, Bring It On is a PG-13 world, so while these girls do get around, its all implied, so don’t expect to see the perkies here. Of course, the original Bring It On is the best of the lot and In It to Win It pales by comparison, but cute, sassy cheerleaders are rare these days. So the story is just an excuse to show off Universal’s theme park and resort, as long as the hotties are plentiful, it all balances out. This is not a good movie, but it has fun moments and call me insane, but I tend to enjoy myself when hot cheerleaders are on showcase. So if you’re a fan of the snarky, trampy Bring It On style fun, then In It to Win It is worth a look and a rental should suffice.
Video: How does it look?
Bring It On: In It to Win It is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print looks great, with no marks, nicks, or other defects, including grain, simply pristine visuals. So even in the darker scenes, which are quite frequent, the detail level remains high and the visuals never have a soft texture. The colors look bright when needed, such as the bold cheer attire, while black levels are razor sharp and as well balanced as we could ask. In other words, another excellent visual presentation from Universal.
Audio: How does it sound?
This Dolby Digital 5.1 option sounds good, with more presence than most comedies. This is due to the cheer scenes, which couple music with the crowd noise to provide some solid presence. The audio won’t knock the hat off your head, but it sounds good and has decent depth. When the cheers are not around however, the audio turns more basic, driven by dialogue. While basic, it still sounds passable and no errors surface. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You can check out some deleted scenes here, as well as a brief, promotional look behind the scenes. This disc also includes four featurettes with Tony G, who shares his expert wisdom on the art of cheerleading. So if you need some tips on your pep moves, they’re worth a look.
