Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Bring It On: In It to Win It Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 7, 2018

The Bring It On films have never been much for innovation but rather bending formula and borrowing ideas in an effort to spruce up what are generally facsimile core stories populated by new but interchangeable faces. In It to Win It, the fourth film in the franchise and the third direct to video sequel, follows the original, the first DTV follow-up, and All or Nothing and precedes Bring It On: Fight to the Finish and Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack. And its core is largely indistinguishable from the others, following two rival cheer squads with different backgrounds, shared goals, and largely equal skill that must come together when disaster strikes in an effort to salvage a cheer competition held at the beautiful Universal Orlando Resort.

Two rival cheer squads -- the The East Coast Jets and the West Coast Sharks -- are competing in the same cheer competition at Camp Spirit-Thunder. The Sharks, under Captain Carson (Ashley Benson), have lost to the Jets, led by Captain Brooke (Cassandra Scerbo), for three years running. It would appear that a fourth loss in a row is on the plate for the Sharks, despite the enormous talent on the team. When Carson meets a handsome young man named Penn (Michael Copon), she's on top of the world -- until she learns that he's cheering for the rival Jets. And that's just not going to work. Inter-squad dating is not just frowned upon, it's entirely taboo and nobody on either side will let the relationship blossom. As the two struggle with their feelings and the reality of what their geographical split means to their future together, the teams lose several cheerleaders to injury when the police break up an impromptu dance-off, leaving the bruised and battered squads no choice but to join forces in an effort to bring home the title.

Clearly neither the writers nor the filmmakers have much interest in doing anything novel with the story. Characters with disparate backgrounds, characters at odds with one another because of who they call friends and the coast they call home, clash and eventually collide -- on the same team -- when it becomes apparent that their futures depend on dropping the biases, relenting with the eye rolls, and lowering their guards in an effort to come together and allow cheer -- not #smacktalk -- to define who they are and what they can accomplish. And if the story basics aren't tired enough, In It to Win It shapes much of the plot in the image of West Side Story, making the the "forbidden romance" plot between a female cheerleader from the Sharks and a male cheerleader from the Jets a story centerpiece. The movie is at least open about it and enjoys the opportunity to rewrite movie history by embracing the essential plot basics from one of the most beloved films in Hollywood history. But it's not enough to add any interest to the movie. The routine grows stale rather quickly and feels like a franchise reaching at straws in an attempt to bring something not so much new but at least unexpected to a stale formula.

Even as the film takes liberties with classic material, it can't escape its foundational, generic vibe. The film offers a rather poor, though admittedly competent, facsimile of the basics from West Side Story, but so much of the movie's plot otherwise relies on reasons that boil down to "just because WSS did it" and "just because other Bring It On films did it" that it never holds serve with any original content to back it up. For example, Carson and Penn cannot possibly fall in love "just because" of the uniform they wear. The cast does a decent enough job of selling it, but they never inhabit the characters, largely because they're such empty vessels that there's nothing really to reach on to from the inside. They're all stock caricatures from either West Side Story or the Bring It On universe. Performance are good enough to carry the movie from one scene to the next, and the dance and cheer moves are, as always, top-rate, but classical examples of the thespian arts these are not.

Bring It On: In It to Win It Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bring It On: In It to Win It's 1080p transfer definitely "wins it." Like its two predecessors that released on Blu-ray the same day -- Again and All or Nothing -- In It to Win It looks very good. The image retains its natural grain structure, which is pronounced but not to an excessive degree. It's complimentary and the image is resultantly dynamically filmic. Details are crisp and effortlessly revealing. Viewers will note endlessly complex skin details in close-up. Hair flows freely with attention paid to individual strands. Clothes are nicely defined and very crisp, and sand seen poolside near film's start appears naturally complex and tactile, as it does during an impromptu dance-off in chapter three. Various ground, structures, rides, and other details around the theme park are super sharp. Colors are spirited and lively. Blues and reds pop with impressive saturation and depth. Natural greens shine. Skin tones appear true and black levels don't struggle in either direction. This is a very sharp and highly enjoyable image. Print wear is minimal and encode flaws are few. Fans will be thrilled.

Bring It On: In It to Win It Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bring It On: In It to Win It's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a generally good and spirited listen. The track is never wanting for more spacing and movement than it has on offer. Cheer sequences are of course the most prominent and dominant sonic element, boasting good stage width and depth and plenty of activity, particularly as music spills through the stage with impressive push. Roller coasters roll through with satisfying weight and rush at the amusement park while more general park din, mostly in the form of crowd chatter, is nice and filling. Background beats at an exterior dance in chapter four nicely filter through the stage. Dialogue is, for the mot part, well balanced and nicely executed, but there are moments when it comes across as a little shallow, such as during a TV interview right out of the gate at around the four-minute mark.

Bring It On: In It to Win It Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bring It On: In It to Win It contains a handful of bonuses which must be accessed in-film via the pop-up menu. No top menu is included. No DVD or digital versions are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p upscaled, window boxed, 9:32): A collection of scenes with no identifying markers.
• Lights, Camera, Bring It! (1080i upscaled, window boxed, 9:12): The film is compared to Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story. A discussion of plot, the East and West styles, actor preparations at cheer camp, the film's "cheer rumble" inspired by West Side Story, shooting locations, and more.
• East Coast Proper (1080i upscaled, 4:48): Choreographer Tony G teaches some moves.
• West Coast Flair (1080i upscaled, 5:23): Choreographer Tony G returns to teach some West Coast dance moves.
• The Rumble with Tony G (1080i upscaled, 16:56): Choreographer Tony G teaches a West vs. East dance battle routine.
• Cheer Off! Learn How to Cheer with Tony G (1080i upscaled, 8:02): The popular choreographer, joined by the film's lead actors, go through some more cheer moves from the film.

Bring It On: In It to Win It Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Give it to Bring It On: In It to Win It for at least openly representing its influences, for wearing its source on its sleeve (and on the letters emblazoned on the front of the cheerleaders' uniforms) and not hiding behind any pretenses of being anything other than a modern cheerleader-centric take on West Side Story. The movie is rather flat, though, weighed down by the same tired Bring It On themes and narrative propellants. It is watchable at its most fundamental level, but it's also the least of the first four films. Universal's Blu-ray, however, is quite good, at least in terms of its A/V presentation. Video is actually great, sound is more than capable, and the extras, even as they're just ports from the DVD, should satisfy those wishing to learn more about the movie and, mostly, its dance moves. Fans can buy with confidence.