Classic "let's put on a show" concept, sloppy direction

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 2001)

I've heard horror stories about great scripts being trashed in
Hollywood by committees of producers and legions of ghost
writers allegedly hired to "polish" a weak script. I wonder if this is
such a case? The central theme, the cheerleading competition, is
a classic premise Â– straight out of the golden age of "lets-put-on-a-show" Hollywood. There's lots of potential for color
and conflict as the contestants prepare for the big showdown. And
there is some of that here, but most of the film is muddled. In the
DVD extras, the director reveals they shot multiple versions of
scenes and were writing on the set. This is sloppy direction. The
other big idea is the inclusion of male cheerleaders. Whether
there is such a thing or not, it's a great idea for a film that will
primarily appeal to girls. So it is doubly curious that the director
doesn't really do anything with the guys, except sort of have them
there to do the heavy lifting. Except for a fleeting scene at a car
wash, the boys never even take their shirts off. Meanwhile the girls
appear in all of the cliche, scantly clad, soft porn poses. A film like
this probably needs a female director to really deliver the beefcake.
Jesse Bradford turns in the most engaging and believable
performance as the love-struck admirer of the head cheerleader.
The rest of the cast seems a bit old. I realize it's easier to employ
actors over 18, but 20-year-olds just don't look like 16-year-olds,
particularly when they have huge tattoos on their back. This subtly
may be lost on Hollywood executives, but it's immediately
apparent to the teenage viewers in the audience.