Monday, November 14, 2011

Best-ever Games for Youth Ministry

Exit Wounds

Doom

  • 1 or 2 Players
  • Over 50 Hellish Levels
  • All-new 24 channel stereo sound effects
  • 2 player "Deathmatch" and "Competative" modes
  • The Best monsters, weapons and bosses from Ultimate Doom and Doom II
No question about it: Doom is one of the greatest games of all time. The blend of a simple, yet compelling mission, breakthrough 3-D interface, brilliant level and weapon design, and the effective use of fear made Doom an instant classic and launched a revolution in computer games. Born on the PC, this game has been ported to almost everything imaginable, and the PlayStation port is one of the best.

You play the part of a space marine who was stationed on a research station on the Martian moon, Phobos. Something went very wrong when the researchers opened an extradimensional portal. Now you're trapped far from home, grabbing guns and ammo to blast the de! mons. A one-man crusade, you shoot everything that moves--and, likewise, everything that moves tries to return the favor.

This was the game that launched the multiplayer craze on the PC, and the PlayStation version does its best to live up to Doom's reputation as the ultimate multiplayer deathmatch game. If you have two players, two PlayStations, and a link cable, you can enjoy some mad two-player mayhem.

A few words of caution: remember that Doom was the first wildly successful first-person shooter, and while its graphics were astounding for its era, it hasn't aged well. If you want the latest and greatest graphics, you'll be disappointed, but if you're into quality gaming and appreciate history, you'll still get a huge blast out of Doom. --John Cocking

Pros:

  • Lots of mayhem
  • Terror mounts as your ammo count drops
Cons:
  • Older graphics
  • Nothin' but violence
  • Sluggish when! compared to the PC version

Down with Love (Widescreen Edition)

  • 2003 - Down With Love - DVD Video
  • Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Tony Randall
  • Widescreen Edition - Rated PG-13
  • New - With Bonus Features -
  • Collectible
Renee Zellweger (Chicago) and Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge) are the toast of the town in the most stylish romantic comedy of the year! From the producers of American Beauty and the director of Bring It On comes a teasing, tantalizing battle of the sexes that is "pure enchantment" (Daily News). When best-selling feminist author Barbara Novak (Zellweger) becomes the target of dashing playboy Catcher Block (McGregor), these sparring, would-be lovers generate enough sparks to fly you to the moon and back. In other words, the ultimate catch has just met his match!The bright, glossy world of Doris Day and Rock Hudson sex comedies gets a self-aware brush-up in Down with Love. Pillow-lipped Renée Zellweger (Ch! icago) plays Barbara Novak, the author of a bestselling book called Down with Love that advises women to focus on their careers and have sex à la carte--just like a man would. Determined to prove that Novak is just as vulnerable to love as any woman, dashingly chauvinist magazine writer Catcher Block (ever-charming Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge) pretends to be a courtly astronaut who wouldn't dream of putting his hand on a woman's knee. This piffle of a story seems like nothing more than an excuse for ironic double-entendres and dazzling production design, until a sneaky plot twist suddenly raises the stakes for the movie's end. As he always does, the brilliant David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) scores the most comic points as Block's fussy editor. --Bret Fetzer

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Extended Edition)

  • It's time to celebrate as Disney's phenomenal HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL hits new heights in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR! Fresh from the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivers nonstop entertainment from start to finish! It's almost graduation day for high school seniors Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, Ryan and Taylor -- and the thought of heading off in separate directio
It's time to celebrate as Disney's phenomenal High School Musical hits new heights in High School Musical 3: Senior Year! Fresh from the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivers non-stop entertainment from start to finish! It's almost graduation day for high school seniors Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, Ryan and Taylor - and the thought of heading off in separate directions after leaving East High has these Wildcats thinking they need to do something they ll remember forever. Tog! ether with the rest of the Wildcats, they stage a spring musical reflecting their hopes and fears about the future and their unforgettable experiences growing up together. But with graduation approaching and college plans in question, what will become of the dreams, romances, and friendships of East High's senior Wilcats?
Find out what happens to all your favorite characters in the big screen musical sensation, High School Musical 3: Senior Year! It's a fabulous celebration the whole family will love!

Disc 1:
  • Extended version includes extra scenes integrated back into the theatrical movie
  • Bonus Features include: Cast Goobyes, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Night of Nights, It's All in the Dress, Sing-Along Mode
Disc 2:
  • DisneyFile Digital Download Copy Disc: Watch your DVD in the living room and your DisneyFile digital copy on the go!
  • !
High School Musical 3: Senior Year is the third ! film in Disney's record-smashing series, and the first to debut in theaters rather than on the Disney Channel, and while many of the elements are the same, the film is at times bigger to accommodate the big screen. All the usual characters are back, but not for long: it's senior year, and the classmates are all facing the prospect of leaving East High in separate directions. Troy (Zac Efron) is ready to play hoops at the University of Albuquerque with best friend Chad (Corbin Bleu), but doesn't want to be a thousand miles away from Stanford-bound Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). Taylor (Monique Coleman) is headed to Yale, while Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), and the school's pianist-composer Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) are all in the running for a single scholarship to Juilliard. The showcase for them will be Ms. Darbus' new musical, Senior Year, which will recap the academic careers of the students themselves. (So if the original HSM was a retelling ! of Grease, HSM3 is more A Chorus Line.)

There are a few new characters: Sharpay's personal assistant Tiara Gold (Jemma McKenzie-Brown), and Troy's hangers-on, Rocket Man (Matt Prokop) and Donny Dion (Justin Martin), who may give the franchise life beyond its original cast (if they make some headway in the likability department). But it's all about the songs and the dances. Ryan and Sharpay sizzle in a classic-musical tribute "I Want It All"; Troy and Gabriella share a rooftop waltz in "Can I Have This Dance"; and Troy and Chad blow off steam in a salvage yard in "The Boys Are Back." "Now or Never" is this film's "sports song," and Troy and Gabriella have their big duet "Just Wanna Be With You" and their own showcases, in "Scream" and "Walk Away," respectively. If the closing anthem, "High School Musical," seems on the self-congratulatory side, it's a rare misstep in a series that has made a generation of tweens (especially girls) sing and dance ! and realize they can be whatever they want to be. --David ! Horiuchi




Stills from High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Click for larger image)












The Bucket List

  • You only live once, so why not go out in style? That?s what two cancer- ward roommates, an irascible billionaire (Jack Nicholson) and a scholarly mechanic (Morgan Freeman), decide when they get the bad news. They compose a bucket list ? things to do before you kick the bucket ? and head off for the around-the-world adventure of their lives. Sky dive? Check. Power a Shelby Mustang around a racetrac
You only live once, so why not go out in style? That’s what two cancer- ward roommates, an irascible billionaire (Jack Nicholson) and a scholarly mechanic (Morgan Freeman), decide when they get the bad news. They compose a bucket list â€" things to do before you kick the bucket â€" and head off for the around-the-world adventure of their lives. Sky dive? Check. Power a Shelby Mustang around a racetrack? Check. Gaze at the Great Pyramid of Khufu? Check. Discover the joy in their lives before it’s! too late? Check! Under the nimble direction of Rob Reiner, the two great stars provide the heart and soul, wit and wiles of this inspired salute to life that proves that the best time of all is right now."You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you," says the quietly wise Carter Chambers, played with gravitas and grace by a Morgan Freeman. In Rob Reiner's moving, often hilarious film The Bucket List, all sorts of people measure themselves against the two heroes, Chambers and his hospital suitemate, Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson). But as Cole finds, having spent his entire life building a Fortune 500 company, none of that much matters when cancer, the great equalizer, pays a visit. The film traces the adventures of the two unlikely friends, who meet in a hospital cancer ward, each given six months to live. The "bucket list" of the title refers to a lifelong list of goals that a teacher of Chambers once advised him to compile--and achieve--"before y! ou kick the bucket." Soon the two are off on what may be the l! ast gran d adventure of their life, vowing to tick off as many goals (skydiving, race-car driving, seeing the wonders of the world) as they can in the time they have left. What starts as a medical melodrama becomes a road trip, yet the men's mortality realities are never far from thought. The two leads give impressive performances, and remind the viewer of just how few American films focus on the lives and loves of senior citizens. Nicholson even manages to lose his persona in his character, much as he did in About Schmidt. There's a lovely John Mayer tune, "Say (What You Need to Say)," that's perfectly matched to the film's clear-eyed view of life: What does one person leave behind as his true legacy? --A.T. Hurley

Big [VHS]

  • Condition: Used - Good


Features include:

•MPAA Rating: PG
•Format: DVD
•Runtime: 104 minutes
A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom Keogh

Features include:

•MPAA Rating: PG
•Format: Blu-Ray
•Runtime: 104 minutes
! A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom KeoghAt a carnival, young Josh Baskin (Hanks) wishes he was big ? only to awake the next morning and discover he is! With the help of his friend Billy, Josh lands a job at a toy company. But the more he experiences being an adult, the more Josh longs for the simple joys of childhood.A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting,! and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy w! ho wishe s he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom KeoghA LITTLE BOY MAKES A WISH ON A CARNIVAL WISHING MACHINE TO BE BIG &THE WISH IS MYSTERIOUSLY GRANTED, MAKING HIM A LITTLE BOYIN A MAN'S BODY.A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, wor! k, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom KeoghA little boy makes a wish on a carnival wishing machine to be big &the wish is mysteriously granted making him a little boy in a mans body. Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 09/02/2003 Starring: Tom Hanks John Heard Run time: 104 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Penny MarshallA perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the acce! nt is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkab! le in th e lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom KeoghAt a carnival, young Josh Baskin (HANKS) wishes he was big-only to awake the next morning and discover he is! With the help of his friend Billy (JARED RUSHTON), Josh lands a job at a toy company. There, his inner wisdom enables him to successfully predict what children want to buy, making the awestruck, naïve Josh irresistible to a beautiful ladder-climbing colleague (ELIZABETH PERKINS). But the more he experiences being an adult, the more Josh longs for the simple joys of childhood.A perfect marriage of novel but incisive writing, acting, and direction, Big is the story of a 12-year-old boy who wishes he were older, and wakes up one morning as a 30-year-old man (Tom Hanks). The script by Gary Ross (Dave) and Anne Spielberg finds some unexpected ways of attacking obvious ! issues of sex, work, and childhood friendships, and in all of these things the accent is on classy humor and great sensitivity. Hanks is remarkable in the lead, at times hilarious (reacting to caviar just as a 12-year-old would) and at others deeply tender. Penny Marshall became a first-rate filmmaker with this 1988 work. --Tom Keogh

Orange mCover® Hard Shell Cover Case + Free Keyboard Skin for A1342 White Unibody MacBook 13-inch (Model No. A1342, Order # MC207LL/A MC516LL/A, released after Oct. 20, 2009)

  • Made of USA-made high-quality translucent DOW polycarbonate material, which is shatter-proof and will protect your unibody MacBook all around. NOT compatible with older original A1181 MacBook released before October 20, 2009
  • The ONLY unibody MacBook Hard case with Retractable feet at the rear bottom to let you type more comfortably.
  • 4 x Clear rubber feet on the bottom cover to prevent from slipping on smooth surface.
  • 2-piece light-weight shell covers ( with free custom-designed silicone keyboard cover skin ) easily snaps on and off.
  • Engraved square window to show Apple logo clearly and make it more stylish.
A hilarious rockumentary in the laugh-packed tradition of THIS IS SPINAL TAP -- critics everywhere are howling the praises of HARD CORE LOGO! The punk rock band Hard Core Logo is back -- reunited and hitting the road on a last-gasp tour across the western ! part of the nation. As magnetic lead singer Joe Dick holds the whole tour together through sheer force of will, all the tensions and pitfalls of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle come bursting hilariously to the surface! Featuring a memorable appearance by punk rock legend Joey Ramone of The Ramones -- settle in and enjoy this offbeat comedy as it really cranks up the laughs!Hard Core Logo is often compared to This Is Spinal Tap--and for marketing purposes, that makes sense: both are pretend documentaries about rock bands (a self-important heavy metal crew in Spinal Tap, a self-destructing punk mob in Hard Core Logo). But though Hard Core Logo can be cuttingly funny, it's not really a comedy; it's a piercing examination of friendship and betrayal, success and self-hatred, and everything that fueled punk rock. Lead singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon) uses false pretenses to convince guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie) to reform Hard Core Logo! for a reunion tour across Canada, followed by a film crew (fe! aturing director Bruce McDonald, whose other films include Roadkill and Highway 61, as himself). Tallent agrees, but only because he expects to be joining a much more successful rock group very shortly and sees this as a favor to Dick. As they travel from town to town, their relationship unravels, as does the psyche of bass player John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Ferguson). The performances are astonishingly genuine; even the oafish drummer Pipefitter (Bernie Coulson) becomes three-dimensional. By the end, you'll believe in them so much as people that the band's disintegration is truly wrenching. A remarkable film, both comic and sad. --Bret Fetzer

Hard Core Logo, first published in 1992, is an epistolary novel acclaimed for its realistic depiction of the life of a punk rock band. Consisting of monologues, conversations, letters, interviews, photographs, and related paraphernalia, Hard Core Logo tells the story of Joe Dick, an unrepentant, true-! blue punk rocker whose scarred ideals are renewed when his band reunites for one last shot at rock 'n' roll glory. Hard Core Logo was made into a feature film in 1996; a sequel went into production in February 2010. Michael Turner's other novels include The Pornographer's Poem (Soft Skull Press).

Filmmaker Bruce McDonald's adaptation of Michael Turner's novel Hard Core Logo is about a fictitious Canadian punk band's reunion tour through the great North. Times have changed since the great punk era of the late '70s. Two decades later the music is still high-energy, but the folks playing it are a bit long in the tooth and out to prove otherwise. The music is provided by Hugh Dillon and Swamp Baby, who deliver punk fare such as the accusatory "Who the Hell Do You Think You Are?," the obvious "Rock 'n' Roll Is Fat and Ugly," and the drug-infested "China White (Ten Dollar F**k)." A take on the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" lacks the focus of the origina! l, but the inclusion of the Ramones ("Touring"), Teenage Head ! ("Bonera ck"), and Chris Spedding ("Wild Wild Women") adds a touch of authenticity. --Rob O'ConnorConsistently ranked as one of the best Canadian movies of all time, punk-rock mockumentary Hard Core Logo (1996) documents the last-ditch reunion tour of an aging rock band led by vocalist Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon). Well received by critics at the time of its release, the film continues to enjoy a devoted international cult following.

This entertaining analysis of Hard Core Logo explores many of the film's key themes, including the responsibility of documentary filmmakers to their subjects, the development of close male relationships, and the relationship between art and commerce in Canada, especially for touring musicians. Paul McEwan examines Hard Core Logo in the context of other adaptations of Michael Turner's 1993 novel of the same name, as well as against other films from McDonald's celebrated career. Featuring interviews with McDonald! himself and others involved in the film, Bruce McDonald's ‘Hard Core Logo’ provides an engaging look at one of Canada's most mythologized movies.Hard Core Logo is often compared to This Is Spinal Tap--and for marketing purposes, that makes sense: both are pretend documentaries about rock bands (a self-important heavy metal crew in Spinal Tap, a self-destructing punk mob in Hard Core Logo). But though Hard Core Logo can be cuttingly funny, it's not really a comedy; it's a piercing examination of friendship and betrayal, success and self-hatred, and everything that fueled punk rock. Lead singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon) uses false pretenses to convince guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie) to reform Hard Core Logo for a reunion tour across Canada, followed by a film crew (featuring director Bruce McDonald, whose other films include Roadkill and Highway 61, as himself). Tallent agrees, but only because he ex! pects to be joining a much more successful rock group very sho! rtly and sees this as a favor to Dick. As they travel from town to town, their relationship unravels, as does the psyche of bass player John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Ferguson). The performances are astonishingly genuine; even the oafish drummer Pipefitter (Bernie Coulson) becomes three-dimensional. By the end, you'll believe in them so much as people that the band's disintegration is truly wrenching. A remarkable film, both comic and sad. --Bret Fetzer

Hard Core Logo, first published in 1992, is an epistolary novel acclaimed for its realistic depiction of the life of a punk rock band. Consisting of monologues, conversations, letters, interviews, photographs, and related paraphernalia, Hard Core Logo tells the story of Joe Dick, an unrepentant, true-blue punk rocker whose scarred ideals are renewed when his band reunites for one last shot at rock 'n' roll glory. Hard Core Logo was made into a feature film in 1996; a sequel went into production in Feb! ruary 2010. Michael Turner's other novels include The Pornographer's Poem (Soft Skull Press).

Hard Core Logo, first published in 1992, is an epistolary novel acclaimed for its realistic depiction of the life of a punk rock band. Consisting of monologues, conversations, letters, interviews, photographs, and related paraphernalia, Hard Core Logo tells the story of Joe Dick, an unrepentant, true-blue punk rocker whose scarred ideals are renewed when his band reunites for one last shot at rock 'n' roll glory. Hard Core Logo was made into a feature film in 1996; a sequel went into production in February 2010. Michael Turner's other novels include The Pornographer's Poem (Soft Skull Press).

Show off your allegiance to HUSTLER NATION with this authentic HUSTLER HARD CORE LOGO Belly Ring. 14 Gauge (1.6mm), 7/16" Length (11mm), 316L Surgical Grade Stainless Steel# Made of USA-made high-quality translucent DOW polycarbonate! material, which is shatter-proof and will protect your unibod! y MacBoo k(model #A1342, MC207LL/A) all around. # The ONLY unibody MacBook Hard case with Retractable feet at the rear bottom to let you type more comfortably. It also helps to prolong your unibody MacBook's life with BETTER heat ventilation from features like retractable feet and more wider ventilation slots. # Rubber feet on the front side to prevent from slipping on smooth surface. # 2-piece light-weight shell easily snaps on and off. # Engraved square window to show Apple logo clearly and make it more stylish. # All ports and charging port fully accessible. # 9 colors(Aqua/Black/Blue/Clear/Green/Orange/Pink/Purple/Red) available soon. # This case will NOT fit the original black/white MacBook(released before Oct. 20th, 2009).

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC
BRING IT ON - DVD MovieSunny, happy Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) is the new leader of the Toros, the cheerleading squad of Rancho Carne, an affluent San Diego high school that has lousy football players but one hell of a cheerleading team. National champions, they're the ones who bring in the bodies to the football games with their award-winning moves and sassy grace, and they're poised to take their sixth national cheer title. Torrance's new reign as cheer queen, though, is cut short when she discovers that her snotty, duplicitous forerunner was regularly stealing routines from the East Compton Clovers, the hip-hop influenced cheerleaders of a poor inner city school, and passing them off as the original work of the Toros. Scrambling to come up with a new routine for the Toros--and do the righ! t thing by giving the Clovers their due--Torrance butts heads with the proud and understandably wary Isis (Gabrielle Union), the leader of the Clovers, who wants nothing to do with a rich blond white girl, but does want to get her squad to the championships. Problem is, only one team can take home the national title. Who's it gonna be?

An unexpected box-office hit in the late summer of 2000, Bring It On is a smart, snappy teen comedy that bristles with good cheer (literally) and lively, down-to-earth characters. The story may be fairly predictable (who's going to win the big championship?), but director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Jessica Bendinger have fleshed out their characters with formidable strength and provided them with sharp dialogue. Dunst is a radiant comedian, projecting warmth, determination, sincerity, and a sublime airheadedness, and Union is an impressive dancer and counterpart to Dunst, matching her admirably despite her limited onscreen time.! An excellent young supporting cast rounds out the film, most ! notably Eliza Dushku (Faith of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Jesse Bradford (Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill) as siblings new to Rancho Carne, who become Torrance's best friend and potential new boyfriend, respectively. All in all, a pleasantly surprising and intelligent teen movie. Don't miss the opening sequence, a hilarious send-up of all those high school cheerleading routines you had to sit through at boring pep rallies. --Mark EnglehartBring on the spirit, spunk and sass with everyone's favorite cheerleading series in the Bring It On
Collection! All four high-energy, fun Bring It On movies are here: Bring It On, starring Kirsten Dunst; the hilarious sequel Bring It On Again; the elecGet ready for more fun, attitude and excitement in this all-new comedy! When popular Britney Allen (Hayden Panettiere) moves from posh Pacific Vista to working-class Crenshaw Heights, her life goes from cheer-topia to cheer-tastrophe. Britney finds herself at odds with ! her new classmates, especially head cheerleader Camille (Solange Knowles-Smith). But when she wins a spot on the cheer squad and faces her former team in a cross-town cheer-off to star in music sensation Rihanna's upcoming video, only one team can "bring it" and earn a place in cheer history! Starring: Solange Knowles, Hayden Panettiere, Gus Carr, Marcy Rylan, Cindy Chiu, Giovonnie Samuels, Francia Raisa, Danielle Savre, Jessica Nicole Fife, Jake McDorman, Eric Bruskotter, Kiersten Warren, Rihanna Directed by: Steve RashBring It On: All or Nothing is the idealized version of what happens when a rich girl from an elite California school is forced to transfer to an urban setting for her senior year of high school. Former head cheerleader Britney (Hayden Panettiere, Ice Princess) finds herself with a quandary--does she join the new squad, or does she stick to the promise she made to her old teammates that she'll never cheer again? Given that this is the second s! equel to the Bring It On franchise, which started with ! Kirsten Dunst's 2000 flick, and that there's really no reason for this movie to exist without a match-up between Britney's old and new squads, of course she must bring her pompoms out of retirement. In between routines, she manages to land the hottest male cheerleader, Jesse (Gus Carr), and befriend Camille (Beyonce's little sis Solange Knowles-Smith), the feisty head of the squad. She even excuses Britney from practice when the latter lies and says her family pet has died: "Who am I to stand between a white girl and her dead dog?" Beyond the inclusion of a few broad stereotypes dealt for laughs, this straight-to-DVD movie doesn't dwell on any real racial issues that a spoiled white girl actually might face at a predominantly ethnic school. Unlike Dunst's film, which was mindless but well-crafted, this sequel asks nothing of its actors but to look good and leap high. Bring It On: All or Nothing has already been brought. Twice. --Jae-Ha KimChristina Milian stars as sas! sy cheer captain Lina Cruz, whose world is turned upside-down when her family moves from the urban streets of East Los Angeles to the sunny beach town of Malibu. At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery, the ultra-competitive all-star cheer captain, while also falling for Avery’s super-cute brother, Evan. Lina’s always been able to rise to a challenge, but can she create a new all-star squad, beat Avery at the Spirit Championships, and still keep her romance with Evan? Hot music, fierce competition and high-flyin’ fun continue in this all-new movie!Like its predecessors in the Bring It On franchise, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish focuses on a perky cheerleader who's taken out of her comfort zone and ends up excelling in her new environment. This time around, the focus is on Lina Cruz (singer Christina Milian), whose family moves from East Los Angeles to Malibu. The streetwise teen makes an instant frenemy of alpha female Avery (Rachele Brooke Smi! th)--also a cheerleader--at her new school. Never mind that th! e two gi rls don't get along. There's more drama when Lina and Avery's brother Evan (Cody Longo) fall for each other. Though Lina describes her new classmates as living "lifestyles of the rich and annoying" and Avery refers to Lina and her Latina friends as "illegal cheermigrants," the two really aren't that different. Both live for cheerleading and are super driven when it comes to their sport of choice. The viewer gets the impression that if both girls shared the same ethnicity (or at least a similar bank account), they'd be besties at school. The Bring It On franchise was spawned by Kirsten Dunst's hit film from 2000, which clearly had better writing and acting, as well as a larger budget to work with. While films like Bring It On: Fight to the Finish aren't going to win any awards, they do have an appeal to teenage girls and/or cheerleading fans. The plot really doesn't matter so much as the cheerleading choreography and the driving music behind it. And there's ! plenty of both in this production. --Jae-Ha Kim

Stills from Bring it On: Fight to the Finish (Click for larger image)


web log free