Stomp the Yard

By Rizzy

So, I got to start out this Bview by giving props to the director Sylvain White.  He knows how to start a movie. Even before we visually see a frame shot, we get to hear the high energy from the crowd watching what is so obviously stellar dancing. Already, I'm pumped and I haven't SEEN anything yet. And here they don't disappoint, because when you do get to see action, it's not from afar, but right up on stage with the action. People are right up in the camera doing crazy awesome moves which you feel like you are there for since it's happening all around you. 10 minutes of this and I'm pretty much ready to call this the best movie I've ever seen, but I'm too smart to make it official, I know sooner or later they have to mess this up with plot.

I wasn't wrong.

So we go from this urban, high intensity atmosphere and then we cut to this. Life at the University of Truth. I'm not even joking it's literally Truth U.  This here is April (as played by the lovely Meagan Good) and our homeboy DJ (played by Columbus Short) is sweet on her. And we know this from the first moment we see her cause the camera pans straight to her ass and then her lips. If I made a drinking game for this one, you'd definitely be drinking for every ass shot they had. But she is, of course, dating a jackass who's a rival stomper! Who didn't see this coming? Really?

So after about 20 minutes of lame self discovery plot we finally get some more "stomping" and this stomping is no longer the high energy, exciting, innovative high note dancing from the beginning of the film.  No, no, no, this stomping looks more like what would come if you asked your local high school's marching band to put together a dancing number. I could still handle this, cause it's so painfully obvious our boy DJ is going to show these boys what Tools they all are and teach them some decent moves. Which we know he knows from the start of the film. And these guys are going to be so awesome they're going to make that first scene look like whatever.  Right? Right? I mean come on, I know if I was directing this film I wouldn't put my best dancing right up front. That's just poor story telling!

The movie keeps progressing and instead of better dancing, we just keep getting more and more and more plot with snippets of the same old moves we've already seen thrown in. But you know what? The best part of this movie was really guessing the plot before it happened, so this still isn't all bad. I loved taking bets on which of the two major stomp frats (the snakes or the wolves) little DJ would join or how long it would take him to win little miss April's heart.

For the bulk of the film we get a lot of really sappy "brother bonding" plot and lame ass training. Though there are several gay references, such as once when he winces before sitting down right after hanging out with his frat brothers that kinda made me giggle. Or the big half naked singing number while shirtless that's pictured above.

If by some miracle you do make it to the end of the film though, there is some more decent dancing.  When they go to nationals (and most of the movie up to this point has left me thinking "really? nationals? both of them made it? You're kidding me, right?") they actually step up and put on what would have been a really awesome show. It's high energy and really personal and quite touching with some fun moves. Only problem is, we blew our load in the first 15 minutes in this film. And since then everything else has just been too much of the same thing over and over again with not enough variety to make it new or interesting.

Watching the final showdowns is like watching a "best of" from the rest of the movie (minus the first 15 minutes) with pyrotechnics, a fog machine, some cool lighting, lame outfits and a few new moves which aren't really new, just variations of the same old moves we've been watching for hours now. You're waiting to have Hell shocked out of you all over again, like in the starting scene, but instead you're left with a whole lotta show and no real content.  Visually, very pleasing all the same.

The director did go back to that killer cinematography here though. The way he played with space and speed really made me appreciate the film despite everything else.  That was definitely this film's strongest point.

To sum it up, if you're going to enjoy this film, watch it with friends and have fun jesting with the film. If you want save your money and see the best the film has to offer? Then check out the opening scene on youtube. Though it's definitely worth the price of a rental just to see that at full quality on your home screen.  Especially if you have a projector. Hell, seeing Chris Brown's smile in full screen glory is worth the rental.  But I might be a bit biased on that one.