Stick It (2006)

Didn't know what to expect from this movie, the movie surprised me a lot. The first bit was slow and I thought it was going to be a bad movie but it really picked up and made me go "Whoa" I really enjoyed the acting of Missy Peregrym(Hailey), she really deserves to get more parts and I hope to see her in many future movies. None of the other actors really stood out, except for her.

The gymnastics were so good, and so well coordinated, you have to give kudos to the girls in the movie for doing all that. Pretty much every time I was amazed that they can do that, and I wonder what other people can do like that. Just spectacular.

Fmovies: OK Sure, we have all seen this plot line thousands of times before, a "bad" kid runs afoul of the law/parents/teachers blah blah blah. They have to go back and compete in the sport/competition that they were considered to be a natural in "You have more raw talent then I have even seen before." They make good on that promise and redeem themselves and yes everything is right with the world. OK I admit it, I like it every time I see it. We all root for the underdog, it's the freaking American way people!!! Go see this movie, it's entertaining, well shot and has a few laughs along the way to boot. I thought it was well done and easy to watch.

This movie was hilarious! I wouldn't recommend it for an older age group, but any teens that are looking for a nice, clean, funny, entertaining movie should definitely check this out! The opening of the movie is extremely creative, and you immediately get a feel for the type of teen bubbly movie it is. There are a few serious points, but all in all the main message of this movie is just because an adult says it, it doesn't make it right. Cheesiness is a given within this movie, as are tons of laughs, beautiful girls, attitude, and two gorgeous guys. Most definitely NOT for a person looking for an award winning performance, but it IS for someone looking for a few laughs and to leave the theater satisfied.

Stick It fmovies. This is a movie I SHOULD have hated. It fits into several genres I normally can't stand. It's a teen movie (hate them), it's a sports movie (hate them), it's a formulaic troubled teen makes good with help of mentor movie (you get the idea). It came on cable one day and I ended up sticking with it-I'm glad I did. Instead of hating it, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. It's definitely formulaic, but so are 95% of the movies out there, anyway. They just pull off the formula very well. Gymnastics is something I have a great deal of respect for (unlike figure skaters, sorry), those people are hardcore athletes. The scenes involving the actual gymnastics, whether in competition or practice, are filmed quite creatively. The actors are cast well, also, especially the lead. She looks so...all-American, for lack of a better description, and can actually act. I'm not a teenager, BTW, so I would imagine teens would enjoy this even more.

Quibbles? The music. It's not my taste (except for blink 182). Other than that, for this type of movie, they did a good job. This isn't supposed to be Taxi Driver or Fargo-just a relatively light, feel-good movie that hits the target it was aiming for.

Yep! You read that right. And, I enjoyed it, each and every time.

I never heard of Missy Peregrym, or Vanessa Lengies, before this. But, I have a strong feeling they will be getting a whole lot more work, from now on.

Missy plays Haley "the Cracker" Graham. A rebellious teenage gymnast who walked out on the sport a few years earlier. After learning that her then-coach (played by John Kapelos, ex-FOREVER KNIGHT) was apparently involved with her mother on a less-than-professional basis!

She is court-ordered to join a gym owned by Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges). A former male gymnast with a Bela Karoly-like reputation for injured students. He and Haley gradually learn to grudgingly respect each other. Enough to take their four-girl team to another pre-Olympic world championship.

Now, this movie might seem like a fluff piece, based on the way the trailers are edited. But, if you sit through it, you realize that it cooks up a lot of valid food-for-thought. Why do real-life sport judges go for consistency over innovation? Did the gymnast, for whom the Sukahara Move is named, get initially penalized for what he or she pioneered? Don't they remember what Ralph Waldo Emerson said about foolish consistencies and little minds?

I think the next time real-life judges act less-than-impartial (which seems to be the rule, rather than the exception), at a real-life gymnastics tournament, the real-life female gymnasts should instigate a little civil disobedience. After all: over-paid footballers, baseballers, and hockey players have gone on strike. And, eventually, been forgiven for it. Why not under-appreciated female gymnasts, who (because they are required to be "amateurs") don't enjoy seasonal salaries of seven or more figures?

Thanks for letting me vent.

Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is a rebellious teen forced to attend a tough gymnastics academy after driving a motorcycle through a window. There, she gets into it with the tough coach (Jeff Bridges) and other girls, but they all have to work together if they want to win a gymnastic championship.

Stick It is a delightful comedy that features memorable dialog and fun performances. The film itself is pretty standard but it was still a lot of fun to watch. I think the screenplay played a big part in the entertainment factor. There were many great lines and scenes which was surprising since the trailer was kind of lame. However, I went in expecting a cheesy comedy and I had a good time. It was pretty corny yet director and screenwriter Jessica Bendinger had a good balance of the cheesiness so that it never became too much to bear.

There were a couple of things I didn't like about the film though. The second half was a bit more serious and therefore not as funny. As in most comedies, there's always a serious shift and it was just awkward when it happened. This had more to do with the performers rather than the director. Another thing, the message of the film was kind of stupid. I know, this is a harmless comedy and it shouldn't be taken seriously yet it was kind of lame to have all the contestants scratch because they weren't getting their way. It could have been a good idea because contestants do seem to get mad at the judges all the time but I didn't like the way they carried it out here.

The acting was pretty good with Missy Peregrym giving the best performance. Her line delivery was perfect and she had many charming scenes. Hopefully, there will be more of her in the future. Jeff Bridges was decent although he could have done this role in his sleep. Vanessa Lengies was good as a supporting player even though her character was pretty annoying. The rest of the performances were passable except for both Nikki SooHoo and Maddy Curly. They were just too wooden and just appeared awkward throughout the movie. Overall, Stick It was purely a guilty pleasure for me. It's no masterpiece but I did have fun while I was watching it. Rating 7/10