Fired Up!
You know there’s only one reason to see this movie, right? Right? And it has nothing to do with the witty repartee (let’s face it, that’s in pretty short supply), the well-rounded characters (same here), and inspiring story (“Bring It On” this is not, although that Peyton Reed jewel does get referenced in the funniest scene in the movie).
No, the only reason to watch this movie is for the young, nubile eye candy in the short skirts and training outfits with the tiny shorts. If you don’t really get that- don’t even bother watching it. As movie comedy, “Fired Up” certainly succeeds more than this week’s other release “Madea Goes to Jail,” which tried to combine the broad laughs its’ main character is designed around with a somewhat serious relationship story in ways I’m still trying to figure out. (To Tyler Perry- commit to one story or another, or at least make them fit together in a less-coincidentally way.) I’m not saying it succeeds a lot more- come on, two football players joining their school’s cheerleading squad for access to new tail to chase? Just writing that sentence you can tell where the story’s going to go, and more or less how it’s going to get there. But any movie that can manage to lure character actor Philip Baker Hall (best known for his 1-shot TV spots and his work with Paul Thomas Anderson) into a role as a football coach with a fetish for profanity (I still say he said “shit” 9 times instead of the guessed 10 in one scene) and fast funnyman John Michael Higgins (from Christopher Guests’ cinematic troup) as a cheer instructor who claims that he came out of the womb wiggling “spirit fingers” has to have some surprises going for it.
Confession: I did find a lot to like here. Admittedly, the main characters (played by Eric Christian Olsen and Nicholas D’Agosto) are the kind of shallow caricatures you expect- with that third act transformation evident from the early going- but the women and characters around them- yummy. Start with Sarah Roemer as cheer captain Carly- not only is she uber-cute but she’s super sweet in that same way Kirsten Dunst was in “Bring It On.” As her you-know-he’s-gonna-be-a-prick boyfriend (a pre-med student who introduces himself as Dr. Rick), David Walton is a wonderful tool, immediately throwing our support (such as it is) to the main characters the second you see him drive up with “O.P.P.” blasting on the radio (great song, but come on, the early ’90s are so over Vanilla Ice). As D’Agosto’s wiser-than-she-looks sister Poppy, Juliette Goglia fills the role of unlikely maturity adorably and hilariously. Most “interestingly”- using the term very, very loosely- is a subplot with Hayley Marie Norman’s Angela and Danneel Harris’ Bianca from the main squad who share more than a few obvious comedy pratfalls but also develop an amusing subplot so subtle it works just right. Don’t get me wrong- we’re not talking comedy classic or box-office smash, but you want dumb silliness and hot women- you’re coming to the right place.
