Bring It On (2000)

All Critics (118) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (78) | Rotten (43) | DVD (30)

This earnest and arch story -- so fast paced its formulas are wonderfully obscured -- has an adolescent energy and a tempered sexuality, and it's infused with the moral agenda of a warmly didactic sitcom.

July 25, 2007 Full Review | Comment

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Who would have thought that a film about competing cheerleading squads would turn out to be the one very pleasant surprise in this very dismal summer season of moviegoing?

March 19, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Kevin Courrier

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

Dunst can't really hold pic together.

February 14, 2001 Full Review | Comment

Robert Koehler

Variety

Top Critic

A pretty good movie aside from all the cheese.

January 1, 2000 Full Review | Comment

David Edelstein

Slate

Top Critic

The problem with the film is that others have done its routine before, and have done it better.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Vicky Edwards

Chicago Tribune

Top Critic

We get a strange mutant beast, half Nickelodeon movie, half R-rated comedy. It's like kids with potty-mouth playing grownup.

January 1, 2000 Full Review | Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Smart and sassy movie marred by raunchy humor.

December 22, 2010 Full Review | Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

It's fluffy, it's predictable, and it's more than a little bit gratuitous, but Bring It On is also fun and pretty clever -- for a movie about high school cheerleading.

September 1, 2006 Comment

Betsy Bozdech

Reel.com

The conclusion may be fairly obvious, but it's largely irrelevant in comparison to how uniquely Bring it On characterizes its teens.

August 1, 2006 Full Review | Comment

Rumsey Taylor

Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Lightweight, but unexpectedly feelgood.

June 24, 2006 Full Review | Comment

Time Out

The film just didn't do much to me.

May 12, 2006 Full Review | Comment

JoBlo

JoBlo's Movie Emporium

This is one of the most likable [teen films] ever made not starring John Cusack

December 6, 2005 Full Review | Comment

Ron Wells

Film Threat

...the movie coasts along on a surprisingly clever script and sure-handed direction.

August 1, 2003 Full Review | Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

There may not be any championships in store for this film, but it's definitely a winner.

May 22, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Eugene Novikov

Film Blather

The dancing is well choreographed, but the story would have better succeeded in choosing an angle or two and sticking with it.

May 14, 2003 Comment

Jeanne Aufmuth

Palo Alto Weekly

A moderately entertaining, mostly inoffensive piece of filmmaking.

March 10, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

The cheering is occasionally spectacular and the principals' acting is above the material.

February 8, 2003 Full Review | Comment

John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

Bring It On amazes not just for its political sophistication but for its refusal to beg credit points for being smart.

January 10, 2003 Full Review | Comment

Nick Davis

Nick's Flick Picks

Bring It On spins off one sly little joke after another, and the smart ensemble makes every one of them work.

December 3, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Stephanie Zacharek

Sight and Sound

Nowhere near funny enough to succeed as a comedy, nor serious enough to work as a drama.

October 30, 2002 Full Review | Comment

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

• 1. Whitney Dow: She puts the 'itch' in bitch.
  2. Courtney Egbert: She puts the 'whore' in horrifying.
  – Submitted by Nhia T (4 months ago)
• 1. Big Red: What are you doing?! You're wrecking everything I built!
  2. Aaron: Hey, hey, it's not totally her fault. I was the one that hooked her up--
  3. Big Red: This season should have been gravy. I hand picked the squad. I delivered an idiot-proof routine. Platter, Nationals, hello?
  4. Torrance Shipman: Don't you mean the stolen routine?
  5. Big Red: Oh, don't be so naive, Torrance. Look the truth is I was a real leader, okay. I did hat I needed to do to win at Nationals and ever since i handed the reigns over to you, you've run my squad straight into the ground. If i made any mistakes at being a team leader, it wasn't borrowing cheers. It was announcing you as my successor.
  – Submitted by Nhia T (4 months ago)
• 1. Missy Pantone: [Looks out the window] Shut up! You don't have it yet! You don't have it! Give it up already! [Pulls drapes shut]
  – Submitted by Nhia T (4 months ago)
• 1. Isis: Where we come from, 'Cheer' is not a word we hear very often.
  2. Lava: They should call us, 'inspiration-leaders' instead.
  3. Jenelope: Oh that's deep I like that.
  4. LaFred: I don't know why we writing to some talk show host, it's like we beggin for charity or something.
  5. Isis: It's not charity. Pauletta Pattin is from our neighborhood.
  6. Lava: She'll understand why we need the money.
  7. LaFred: Tell her we need to buy doughnut, her big butt understand that.
  8. Jenelope: Aha, stop being counterproductive, aight.
  9. LaFred: Lava, stop teaching her these big words before she choke on'em.
  10. Jenelope: Better I choke you, Lafred.
  – Submitted by Nhia T (4 months ago)
• 1. Torrance Shipman: I guess that's it. You were too busy to believe in me. Oh no, wait. You weren't too busy to sell me out to Courtney and Whitney were you? Well, I hope You're not too busy to hear this. Kiss my ass, Aaron, it's over. [pushes the door open] You're a great cheerleader Aaron, it's just that maybe you're just not 'boyfriend' material. Buh bye.
  – Submitted by Nhia T (4 months ago)