Fired Up

Remember the slightly grating cheerleading flick Bring It On? Does it amaze you that the brand managed to churn out five follow-ups, all of which went straight to DVD? And still, Hollywood must have felt that the cheerleading film market was not yet saturated, because they made Fired Up. In a way, though, Fired Up knocks the pompoms off Bring It On and its perky schmaltz because it's funnier. Imagine American Pie (the first one, before they ruined that, too, with endless follow-ups), set in a cheerleading camp. Shawn and Nick, both muscled jocks, head to camp with cheerleaders because they decide they have more of an affinity for girls than for football. Luckily, most of the 300 or so girls at camp seem to like them back. Happy days. Plans go awry when one of them falls for the head cheerleader, introducing a bit of a love story for the female audience, along with short skirts and acrobatics for the male. Both boys subsequently fall for cheering itself. It is remarkable how easy it seems for football players to adapt to cheerleading. You might wonder how much more juice there is to squeeze out of the base American high-school comedy, but don't write this one off because, if you're looking for light, silly entertainment (aren't we all sometimes?), the dialogue between the two boys alone makes it worth watching.