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Stick It
R1 - America - Buena Vista Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: TJ McDonald & Noor Razzak (24th October 2006). |
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The Film
 This film disgusts me. I really can't make that point enough. Nothing good can come from watching "Stick It". If at some point in this review I mention some passable quality of this film, please understand that this is in context and at no point should you take it to mean that this film could ever be remotely worth viewing. Clearly the plot is nothing to write home about. Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) gets in trouble with the law and has to go back to Gymnastics school, but the gymnastics world hates her because she walked out of the international championships a few years back (turns out her coach was sleeping with her mummy oops! I gave away a plot twist. Bite me.). Throw in quirky coach Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges who is clearly desperate for a decent role since "Seabiscuit" (2003). Bad choice there, Bridges.) and you've got rebellious-teen-bucks-the-system-but-also-learns-life-lessons classic. Yawn. Lets run the list: the plot is terrible; the script is laughable - but ironically never actually funny; the acting is atrocious (Bridges tries his darnedest, but it's swing-and-a-miss there, champ); and the sound track made me physically sick. "Stick It" tries so hard to have a 'kick ass' soundtrack that is 'down with the kids' that certainly whoever compiled it should be tried for war crimes. Also, whoever came up with the line 'It's not called gym-nice-tics!' should be sterilised for the good of future generations. Ok, the lead is quite hot. That might be a reason to watch this film with the sound off, on fast forward. But frankly, if jail bait in leotards is your thing you have issues that run far deeper than I care to discuss. If you are a lonely young man and this is honestly the reason you are watching this movie just go rent "Bring it On" (2000) it's funnier and Eliza Dushku is way hotter (unless you're over 18, in which case buddy, just rent some porn). Watching "Stick It" is like having drunken sex with a really ugly chick it may feel good at the time but you still feel dirty in the cold light of morning. No, I take that back, watching "Stick It" is like prison sex there's no point when it feels good and you can never look at yourself in the mirror again. I'm no historian, but I'm fairly sure my grandfather fought in World War II so that movies like this would never be made. For shame. For shame.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 this anamorphic transfer is good, it's just not great. The image is sharp but does suffer from some softness on occasion, colors are vibrant and skin tones are perfect but the overall image felt flat. Other than that I could not spot any major flaws such as edge-enhancement, noticeable compression artefacts were at a minimum and the print was clean which is about right for such a recent release.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included in English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its English soundtrack, I found that dialogue was clear and distortion free, the track included some subtle direction effects mostly environmental stuff such as crowd reactions and such, I found the music overbearing and entirely annoying at all times otherwise this is a fine soundtrack does very little wrong but isn't memorable or mind-blowingly good. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Buena Vista Home Entertainment has included two audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a series of clips featuring uncut routines, a featurette, music videos and bonus trailers. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up is a feature-length audio commentary by the film's writer/director Jessica Bendinger and cast members Missy Peregrym and Vanessa Lengies. This track was recorded before the film was released and is upbeat and optimistic, I wonder how the tone would have differed had the participants recorded this after the film was released since it bombed at the box office? In any case you get a candy coated track with the three ladies telling us what fun it was working on this film, they comment on their favorite scenes, screen tests and training for the role and also share stories from the set. If you're deeply interested in this film and its stars then this track may be enjoyable to listen to, otherwise I'm glad my DVD remote has a fast-forward button. The second audio commentary is by the film's writer/director Jessica Bendinger, director of photography Daryn Okada and editor Troy Takaki. Right from the start the director comments that they are going to "entertain" us, but that is far from what actually happens. If anyone was paying attention there is some overlap of information from the previous track and this one, where the director comments on training and cast and most things related to the sport. Topics also covered in this track include visual themes and the photography style as well as the editing techniques and how certain key sequences cut together. A collection of 8 deleted scenes are included and all these scenes can be viewed with 2 optional commentaries one by Jessica Bendinger and cast members Missy Peregrym and Vanessa Lengies and the second commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger, director of photography Daryn Okada and editor Troy Takaki. In these tracks the participants talk about why the scenes were cut out the film as well as shed some production insight to them, in most cases the director takes over the tracks and the other participants tend to spend their time agreeing with her. The scenes included are: - "Pharmacy" which runs for 1 minute 48 seconds. The girls want the coach to buy them candy at the checkout and he gets flack from the teller. - "Clean Safe Routines" which runs for 1 minute 7 seconds. The coach is angered at the girls and they recite their principals. - "2nd Half of Banquet" which runs for 1 minute 43 seconds. Haley and the coach talk about the judges. - "Skinny Fat" runs for 1 minute 14 seconds, Haley mocks Joanne after she comments on her weight and then get into a tiny spat. - "Joanne's Mom Shows Up" runs for 2 minutes 2 seconds and is a scene where Joanne's mother shows up and tells the coach about her concerns over Haley. - "Rhythmics" runs for 1 minute 11 seconds. A montage scene that explains how rhythmics gymnasts are super freaks. - "Special.Special" runs for 1 minute 39 seconds, the coach meets with the mothers and makes everyone's daughter feel special. - "Poot's Mom" runs for 2 minutes 8 seconds, Poot's mother comforts Haley and tells her she can stay with them. "Buttaharas" bloopers and outtakes reel follows and runs for 3 minutes 34 seconds, this is a montage of line flubs, missed cues, the cast acting silly and having fun. There's nothing in here worth repeated viewing. "Hard Corps: The Real Gymnasts of Stick It" featurette runs for 4 minutes 27 seconds is a glorified montage clip set to music and features the gymnasts doing their thing as their vital information is splashed across the screen. "The Elites: Full Routines" are 6 clips of the complete routines performed by the actual gymnasts. These sequences include optional commentary. Much like the deleted scenes the director takes over the commentaries while the rest of the participants agree with her. She comments on the routines and also the equipment used and the differences between her days as a gymnasts and now. The clips included are: - "Nastia's Floor Routine" which runs for 1 minute 39 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger and cast members Missy Peregrym and Vanessa Lengies. - "Nastia's Beam Routine" which runs for 1 minute 49 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger, director of photography Daryn Okada and editor Troy Takaki. - "Nastia's Uneven Bar Routine" runs for 1 minute 2 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger and editor Troy Takaki. - "Nastia's Uneven Bars Routine Without Cuts" runs for 1 minute 36 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger and director of photography Daryn Okada. - "Isabelle's Uneven Bars Routine" runs for 40 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger. - "Isabelle's Beam Routine" runs for 2 minutes 10 seconds and includes optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger and editor Troy Takaki. Next up is "The Judge's Table: Slow Motion Uneven Bars" 3 clips with optional commentary by writer/director Jessica Bendinger, director of photography Daryn Okada and editor Troy Takaki as they comment on the accuracy and athleticism of the gymnasts. They include: - "Isabelle Severino 1" runs for 1 minute 18 seconds. - "Isabelle Severino 2" which runs for 2 minutes 47 seconds. - "Annie Gagnon" which runs for 4 minutes 50 seconds. These slow motion shots were slowed down by 5 times and are performed against a green screen. Two music videos are also included for songs that are featured on the film's soundtrack. They are for "We Run This" by Missy Elliott which runs for 4 minutes 21 seconds and "Crowded" Jeannie Ortega featuring Papoose which runs for 3 minutes 17 seconds. Rounding out the extras is a collection of bonus trailers round out the extras on this disc, they include: - "Goal! The Dream Begins" which runs for 2 minutes 29 seconds. - "Grey's Anatomy: Season Two" which runs for 1 minute 47 seconds. - "Anti-piracy" spot which runs for 4 7 seconds. - "Kinky Boots" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "Twitches" which runs for 1 minute 3 seconds. - "Hannah Montana" which runs for 31 seconds. "Stick It" includes quite a lot of extras for a film that didn't do all that well to begin with, these extras will likely be enjoyed more if you're a fan of the film and most importantly the sport. If your not then why the hell are you watching this in the first place?
Overall
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