177 reviews
I know. The idea is not really original, but yet i have to admit the characters and the acting is not bad. The moves are pretty good, too. What i really did not like was the plot points. Everything was so obvious. Especially in the end. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Yet a gread show
I actually enjoyed the leading actor very much.
I've seen Street Style and Step up. Whereby i think Stomp the Yard cannot keep up with Step up, it is definitely betther than Street Style.
... which leaves 6 out of 10 for an enjoyable movie. If you like the genre, go see it.
I actually enjoyed the leading actor very much.
I've seen Street Style and Step up. Whereby i think Stomp the Yard cannot keep up with Step up, it is definitely betther than Street Style.
- 2 stars because it is not a genuine idea - 1 star because the plot points a very easy to foresee - 1 Star for bad dialogue sometimes
... which leaves 6 out of 10 for an enjoyable movie. If you like the genre, go see it.
- tyler-johnsen
- May 28, 2007
- Permalink
I'm often baffled at the ratings that some of the movies end up with out here. This movie is far better than a 3+. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the very beginning, but what I did see was entertaining and well-acted, just what one would usually expect from a film of any sort. Sure, the story's been told, as most stories have, but they all have something a little unique to offer. The dance sequences weren't necessarily awe-inspiring, but they also weren't drawn out so long as to bore you. All in all, I enjoyed this picture. My perspective comes from that of a middle-aged white guy, so it might be quite different from yours.
- jordan2240
- Nov 27, 2007
- Permalink
From the opening battle scene in Los Angeles to the heart-pumping wanna get up and cheer/dance nationals competition in the end, Stomp the Yard was, although somewhat cliché, a pretty impressive movie. The acting (which seeing a movie similar to this-You Got Served that had horrible acting) was better than expected. The step battles were a feast for the senses and really showcased the extreme talent of the competitors. With a plot line fairly similar to other leave one dangerous city to go to Atlanta and be successful movies, one would assume you would have nothing new to learn, which is mostly true, so avoid it if you have something against this genre. Other than that, if you are looking for a movie to surpass the typical crap that is released in January and don't mind a recycled plot (done a little better this time of course) see Stomp the Yard.
- pinknole05
- Jan 9, 2007
- Permalink
The real shame is that someone might come to IMDb, see that this film is rated 2.6, think it's a legitimate rating, and not see this film. This is truly a solid film.
Yes, the film is predictable, and at times cliché. Most of these inspirational films aimed at young people are. But this film rises above most others. It hits it's notes very well, and the direction and choreography are on point. The performances - acting and dancing - were very good.
It's a shame that so many people have such hatred in their hearts that they won't expand their own minds by learning of cultures outside of their own. It's a shame that so many people who have obviously never seen this film used their time and energy to rate this film a 1. How pathetic is that? I'm glad that this film was a financial success, despite the "haters". I just feel sorry for the kinds of people who would make spreading hatred a part of their lives.
You can see by some of the comments made by some of the IMDb commentators, so to speak, that they never saw this film. It's also obvious that they know nothing of the subject of this film, stepping. These are the people who might want to see this film and learn of something new.
I, for one, am not big fan of "Greek" organizations. Still, I thought that the messages in, the performances in, and the overall execution of this film was better than any in this recent group of college age/friendship genre films.
I enjoy films of all types, and I can honestly say that this is a solid film for this genre. Also, it's new in subject matter, which makes it different from it's peer films.
If you're on the fence about seeing this film. You should see it. It's pretty much what you think it is from the trailers, but it's a very well made version.
I'd give the film a strong 7/10. For it's genre, however, it's as good as there is.
Yes, the film is predictable, and at times cliché. Most of these inspirational films aimed at young people are. But this film rises above most others. It hits it's notes very well, and the direction and choreography are on point. The performances - acting and dancing - were very good.
It's a shame that so many people have such hatred in their hearts that they won't expand their own minds by learning of cultures outside of their own. It's a shame that so many people who have obviously never seen this film used their time and energy to rate this film a 1. How pathetic is that? I'm glad that this film was a financial success, despite the "haters". I just feel sorry for the kinds of people who would make spreading hatred a part of their lives.
You can see by some of the comments made by some of the IMDb commentators, so to speak, that they never saw this film. It's also obvious that they know nothing of the subject of this film, stepping. These are the people who might want to see this film and learn of something new.
I, for one, am not big fan of "Greek" organizations. Still, I thought that the messages in, the performances in, and the overall execution of this film was better than any in this recent group of college age/friendship genre films.
I enjoy films of all types, and I can honestly say that this is a solid film for this genre. Also, it's new in subject matter, which makes it different from it's peer films.
If you're on the fence about seeing this film. You should see it. It's pretty much what you think it is from the trailers, but it's a very well made version.
I'd give the film a strong 7/10. For it's genre, however, it's as good as there is.
Does this movie deserve a 2? No Way. I don't know why people feel the need to preface their voting. Did you like it? Yes. Period. I wasn't expecting a lot and perhaps that's why I had so much fun enjoying the film. I'm an indie filmmaker and sometimes it's a challenge to take off my filmmaker hat and just simply enjoy a movie. I was able to do it with this film. It was exciting, beautiful to watch and I was surprised by the storyline. People who slam a movie because it has a moral to the story or an uplifting theme should check themselves to see if they have too much cynicism running through their veins. As a black man, it was nice to see a film where characters used their wits and intelligence to avoid confrontation or deal with another's blatant disrespect. *****Oh, and the cinematography for this film was CRAZY!!! Great dance sequences, great camera work. It was SICK to the Nth!!!! Solid film to watch!!!
- DarkAngeloX
- Nov 22, 2007
- Permalink
- blahblahson666
- Jan 13, 2007
- Permalink
My friends and i rented this movie because there was nothing else and we thought it would be a good laugh to make fun of it. Although the facial expressions gave us that,it was also fairly good. The storyline was good and kept us interested. The acting was also good considering that most of them were musicians. Although it is a mix of you got served and drumline, it still brings something different to the table. It made us want to get up and dance. I would recommend this movie to anyone with an open mind who likes a good dance movie. I give this film a 7/10 and i plan on buying it on DVD. If you go in it with low expectations you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised.
Apparently the makers of this movie did... actually they missed several things.
This movie is basically a mass of stereotypes. They're ALL there... let's run through it, shall we? First, you have the obligatory waste-of-time opening sequence. This is the part that might as well have had a red caution sign flashing that said, WARNING: this movie sucks. Get out of here and save yourself the trouble.
Next, you have the "too-badass for class antagonist." I believe I saw this kind of character in "You Got Served." (Another cinematic turd.) Then there's the chick on campus that takes a shine to the main dude, but turns on him once he screws up and does/says something stupid.
And finally, the fact that there's almost no good dialogue, and no comedy to flesh it out.
If you're going to make a movie, take these things into account... it'll help.
And now, for the verdict: this movie is a 1 out of 10.
By the way, this is based on the fact that I actually saw it... I'm not racist in any sense of the word.
This movie is basically a mass of stereotypes. They're ALL there... let's run through it, shall we? First, you have the obligatory waste-of-time opening sequence. This is the part that might as well have had a red caution sign flashing that said, WARNING: this movie sucks. Get out of here and save yourself the trouble.
Next, you have the "too-badass for class antagonist." I believe I saw this kind of character in "You Got Served." (Another cinematic turd.) Then there's the chick on campus that takes a shine to the main dude, but turns on him once he screws up and does/says something stupid.
And finally, the fact that there's almost no good dialogue, and no comedy to flesh it out.
If you're going to make a movie, take these things into account... it'll help.
And now, for the verdict: this movie is a 1 out of 10.
By the way, this is based on the fact that I actually saw it... I'm not racist in any sense of the word.
- Tenchi64589
- Jan 20, 2007
- Permalink
STOMP THE YARD comes as a pleasant surprise to those of us who have yet to be introduced to 'stepping' - a sport/dance form that is not break dancing, not hip-hop, not modern dance, not clogging, not ballet, but instead is an exhilarating display of rhythm, physical dexterity, and creative choreography that makes this little film well worth watching.
The story is minimal and hackneyed and serves basically as an outline for the dance performances. DJ (the enormously talented dancer/actor Columbus Short) is sent from Los Angeles to Atlanta's Truth University after his conviction for street brawling, a fight in which his brother (Chris Brown) was killed. Once on campus DJ is works for his uncle as a gardener and is soon courted for his step dance skills by two rival fraternities. One fraternity gains DJ's attention and he pledges. Of course there is the requisite love conflict (the beautiful Meagan Good as April), who just happens to be the girlfriend of the rival fraternity step leader (Darrin Henson), and the usual undercurrent of familial dichotomies between DJ's humble background and April's influential father bring the tension to the front: the result is DJ's triumphant performance in the annual stepping competition between the two fraternities. The ending is predictable but sensitive and with a message.
The real star of the film is the magnificently choreographed and executed dancing, performed by the actual cast members. Director Sylvain White and his choreographers center their attention on the big sequences and the result is very fine entertainment. In addition to the gifted Columbus Short and Darrin Henson the cast includes such fine actor/dancers as Brian J. White, Ne-Yo, Laz Alonzo, Oliver Ryan Best, Richmond Duain Martyn, Justin Hires, and many others. It is difficult to resist the excitement of the commitment of this fine cast to the introduction of step dancing to the public at large. So much talent! Grady Harp
The story is minimal and hackneyed and serves basically as an outline for the dance performances. DJ (the enormously talented dancer/actor Columbus Short) is sent from Los Angeles to Atlanta's Truth University after his conviction for street brawling, a fight in which his brother (Chris Brown) was killed. Once on campus DJ is works for his uncle as a gardener and is soon courted for his step dance skills by two rival fraternities. One fraternity gains DJ's attention and he pledges. Of course there is the requisite love conflict (the beautiful Meagan Good as April), who just happens to be the girlfriend of the rival fraternity step leader (Darrin Henson), and the usual undercurrent of familial dichotomies between DJ's humble background and April's influential father bring the tension to the front: the result is DJ's triumphant performance in the annual stepping competition between the two fraternities. The ending is predictable but sensitive and with a message.
The real star of the film is the magnificently choreographed and executed dancing, performed by the actual cast members. Director Sylvain White and his choreographers center their attention on the big sequences and the result is very fine entertainment. In addition to the gifted Columbus Short and Darrin Henson the cast includes such fine actor/dancers as Brian J. White, Ne-Yo, Laz Alonzo, Oliver Ryan Best, Richmond Duain Martyn, Justin Hires, and many others. It is difficult to resist the excitement of the commitment of this fine cast to the introduction of step dancing to the public at large. So much talent! Grady Harp
Reguardless of the other votes and forums I've read about this flick.. Firstly I don't think its racist why its gotten bad ratings... and heres why... Firstly I am white, not that it should matter.. Movie idea was unoriginal.. and in my opinion that effected ppls ratings on this movie.. They couldn't see past the idea that it was not a NEW IDEA.... blah blah blah. People are just watching the movies to be entertained and if they've seen something similar there not entertained where as there's the few of us out there that can appreciate great acting and with this movie its exactly that.. I really enjoyed drumline.. Possibly because I was a drummer in school but I've also enjoyed quite a few of "dance movies" even enjoyed them enough to buy on DVD.. This movie Stomp The Yard.. I DO intend to buy on DVD as soon as its available.. I do recommend seeing this movie regardless of what the few other ppl have rated this movie on.. I feel it unfairly got a bad IMDb rating because it was not original.. Hope this helps
I saw the movie today and thought that Alpha Phi Alpha's choice to boycott is ridiculous. The movie did not feature Alpha's stepping (as they were seen in School Daze) or really discussed. They were actually honored at one point in the movie when ALL African-American historical Greeks like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were praised for their involvement. Alpha Phi Alpha's choice to have the director remove scenes is interesting. The Greeks presented in the movie were fake societies created for entertainment. Yes, the groups did represent the traditional passage that Black Greek letter societies face, but as everyone knows, IT IS JUST A MOVIE. The representation of realistic sororities and fraternities was in fact making the movie believable and authentic, but were not necessary for the movie to have been successful. So, in closing I ask the question, If ALL of the fraternities and sororities in the movie were fictitious, would that have caused such an uproar or make people mad that real societies were not represented?
I can't believe this is sitting with a 3 rating?! I found the dancing/choreography fascinating not to mention the eye candy element and just the logistics of how they do those moves? I had not seen the actor who played DJ previously but found him quite capable as was the female lead.
Plot-wise vaguely reminiscent of Save the Last Dance.
I don't know what people that rated this low were expecting - my thought is that "the dance" was the main point of the whole movie and entertainment enough in itself. The plot elements were somewhat predictable yet with a little twist I was not expecting & overall I thought the movie progressed well as opposed to movies that have long, drawn out plot development.
Perfect for those of us with A.D.D. ;)
Plot-wise vaguely reminiscent of Save the Last Dance.
I don't know what people that rated this low were expecting - my thought is that "the dance" was the main point of the whole movie and entertainment enough in itself. The plot elements were somewhat predictable yet with a little twist I was not expecting & overall I thought the movie progressed well as opposed to movies that have long, drawn out plot development.
Perfect for those of us with A.D.D. ;)
when this movie came out i thought it was just a rip off of you got served witch was one of the worst movies I've ever seen, so i thought this would be too, but i was wrong, this movie was good, i don't see what was so bad about it, there was good acting, good dancing, good directing, decent script, and maybe a little bit of cliché's and predictability thrown in but the good out weigh the bad, if i controlled this rating i would give it a 7. something, but a 3.1, thats just stupid, i'm sure there were pleanty of people who rated this movie without seeing it, so please see the movie first, because this movie deserves a lot of credit for its genre, and may i add the fact that meagan good is one of the sexiest movies alive to the list of good things about this movie, and my favorite part of the movie, which was the soundtrack, especially walk it out, and that scene with the song, so please see this movie and don't trust bad advertising at stupid people rating when they don't know sh*t about what there rating
Take the drums out of Drumline and you've got Stomp the Yard, a clumsy, by-the-numbers look at the competitive world of a complex, synchronized dance form known as stepping, a tradition for black college fraternities.
High-caliber stepping is an exciting sight, and Stomp the Yard's dance scenes have a poise and visual flair that surpasses any music video: stroboscopic rapid-fire body popping, impressive slow-motion acrobatics and razor-sharp group steps backed by a thundering soundtrack.
It's tragic, then, that the thin, formulaic characters and plot are no deeper than your average music video, with the typical fish-out-of-water bad boy falling for his archenemy's girl, getting off on the wrong foot with his fraternity brothers and ultimately learning a valuable lesson about teamwork.
If the rest of Stomp the Yard were half as deft as its footwork, it'd be watchable. As it is, everything that doesn't happen on stage is a major stumble.
High-caliber stepping is an exciting sight, and Stomp the Yard's dance scenes have a poise and visual flair that surpasses any music video: stroboscopic rapid-fire body popping, impressive slow-motion acrobatics and razor-sharp group steps backed by a thundering soundtrack.
It's tragic, then, that the thin, formulaic characters and plot are no deeper than your average music video, with the typical fish-out-of-water bad boy falling for his archenemy's girl, getting off on the wrong foot with his fraternity brothers and ultimately learning a valuable lesson about teamwork.
If the rest of Stomp the Yard were half as deft as its footwork, it'd be watchable. As it is, everything that doesn't happen on stage is a major stumble.
Let me say right up front that my husband and I are White and around 50, and we really liked this film: my motivation for writing this review is to get other people to see it! Predictable but engaging, and very watchable: I needed to use the restroom but didn't want to miss anything(!), because the dance/step moves are so great. Lead Columbus Short (as DJ) is new to us, but he's nice-looking and charismatic, and definitely keeps your attention. On the whole, the film reminded us a lot of "Drumline," which we enjoyed too--both share a similar plot line and coming-of-age challenges. Anyone who likes dance films, even martial arts, should catch this one--you'll marvel at the athleticism and synchronicity of the moves, enjoy the posturing and confrontations, and buy into DJ's story. Ultimately, we cared about what happens to him, and the film kept our interest all the way through. Good for all ages in general, with some very attractive actors and good music...!
I walked into this movie knowing nothing about it other than that ridiculous line from the previews in which Sway is yelling, "I've never seen stepping like this before!" But I knew better than to take it seriously. Of course this wasn't a great movie in the sense of being a work of art. It didn't break any new ground thematically, cinematically, or culturally. But let's be honest, it had no such intentions. This movie was designed to be watched purely for entertainment value. And in that respect, it was successful.
A large part of the movie's appeal probably just came from laughing at the particularly inane moments - "TNT is the most powerful explosive known to man!" - but let's not kid ourselves, the creators meant for things to be this way. And give credit where due - the dance scenes are definitely impressive at points. So while this movie undoubtedly deserves its poor reviews, I frankly had a lot of fun watching it. So if you go in with the right expectations, this can be an enjoyable movie. And please, don't be so sensitive that you get offended by the "perpetuation of African American stereotypes." Just get over it.
A large part of the movie's appeal probably just came from laughing at the particularly inane moments - "TNT is the most powerful explosive known to man!" - but let's not kid ourselves, the creators meant for things to be this way. And give credit where due - the dance scenes are definitely impressive at points. So while this movie undoubtedly deserves its poor reviews, I frankly had a lot of fun watching it. So if you go in with the right expectations, this can be an enjoyable movie. And please, don't be so sensitive that you get offended by the "perpetuation of African American stereotypes." Just get over it.
oh god. they were serious about this movie. sucks for them.
this is another movie poorly written by a director who hasn't made a movie that exceeds a 4.0 rating. This movie takes African American culture ("Stomping the Yard") and literally turns it into the stereotypical "black" movie. This movie is just a whole lot of "Yo, we'll beat yo (beep)and "Oh its on!"if you have ever watched "You Got Served" this movie is the exact same, except they call it "stompin the yard" now, and black fraternities are in it instead of marques Houston. If you feel like waisting 9$ and loosing all your brain cells, then go see this movie. Instead, I will take that 8 bucks and buy myself some fast food, and use my brain cells to do something productive in my life (Unlike Stompers).
this is another movie poorly written by a director who hasn't made a movie that exceeds a 4.0 rating. This movie takes African American culture ("Stomping the Yard") and literally turns it into the stereotypical "black" movie. This movie is just a whole lot of "Yo, we'll beat yo (beep)and "Oh its on!"if you have ever watched "You Got Served" this movie is the exact same, except they call it "stompin the yard" now, and black fraternities are in it instead of marques Houston. If you feel like waisting 9$ and loosing all your brain cells, then go see this movie. Instead, I will take that 8 bucks and buy myself some fast food, and use my brain cells to do something productive in my life (Unlike Stompers).
- l0stins0uthpark
- Jan 13, 2007
- Permalink
From the "krumping" at the beginning to the "Step" competition at the end, the movie was very entertaining!
The plot was completely predictable - kind of a mixture of "Drumline", "Bring it On", heck any bad boy/girl leaves 'hood joins team and learns to play well with others movie.
But the film was a lot of fun to watch and brought well deserved attention to "stepping" at HBCU's (historically black colleges and universities)
As a Mom, I appreciated the positive messages about higher education.
If you've seen the fascinating David LaChapelle documentary "Rize," you'll recognize some of the krumpers/steppers, "Miss Prissy" and "Tight Eyez". My teenagers were thrilled to see them again, even though they had minor roles.
The plot was completely predictable - kind of a mixture of "Drumline", "Bring it On", heck any bad boy/girl leaves 'hood joins team and learns to play well with others movie.
But the film was a lot of fun to watch and brought well deserved attention to "stepping" at HBCU's (historically black colleges and universities)
As a Mom, I appreciated the positive messages about higher education.
If you've seen the fascinating David LaChapelle documentary "Rize," you'll recognize some of the krumpers/steppers, "Miss Prissy" and "Tight Eyez". My teenagers were thrilled to see them again, even though they had minor roles.
Just because a movie is flawed doesn't mean it can't be entertaining. Which is why it amazes me still that there are movies pumped out of Hollywood again and again that seem determined to do anything but entertain.
"Stomp the Yard" is a mess. I'll give the filmmakers and actors a nod of respect for at least appearing to have tried to make a decent flick, but as a wise old Jedi troll once said: "Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." Just because you try to put on a decent movie doesn't mean it's going to be; and "Stomp" most assuredly wasn't.
I equate films like this to chick flicks. While this wasn't a chick flick, it mimics that awful genre in damn near every way. Leading character suffers tragedy of some sort (of varying degrees, depending on the movie's intention--make you cry, make you happy, inspire you, etc.), experiences a change of scene, begins to flourish, is reminded of tragedy and begins to fall apart again, is uplifted by new friends to overcome tragedy, and ultimately become a better person. For chick flicks, insert love interest for "new friends" and you've got yourself a real tearjerker.
I'll admit, the stomping moments of the film were cool. Had this been a documentary about that whole stomping culture, I know I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more. But since all the cool stomping parts are buried under a lot of sappy, seen-it-all-before filler, "Stomp the Yard" ends up labeled as one of the duller movie-going moments in my life, and will be filed away in my memory banks as such.
Remember kids: It's not a black or white thing--it's a sucky movie thing. Can you dig?
"Stomp the Yard" is a mess. I'll give the filmmakers and actors a nod of respect for at least appearing to have tried to make a decent flick, but as a wise old Jedi troll once said: "Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." Just because you try to put on a decent movie doesn't mean it's going to be; and "Stomp" most assuredly wasn't.
I equate films like this to chick flicks. While this wasn't a chick flick, it mimics that awful genre in damn near every way. Leading character suffers tragedy of some sort (of varying degrees, depending on the movie's intention--make you cry, make you happy, inspire you, etc.), experiences a change of scene, begins to flourish, is reminded of tragedy and begins to fall apart again, is uplifted by new friends to overcome tragedy, and ultimately become a better person. For chick flicks, insert love interest for "new friends" and you've got yourself a real tearjerker.
I'll admit, the stomping moments of the film were cool. Had this been a documentary about that whole stomping culture, I know I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more. But since all the cool stomping parts are buried under a lot of sappy, seen-it-all-before filler, "Stomp the Yard" ends up labeled as one of the duller movie-going moments in my life, and will be filed away in my memory banks as such.
Remember kids: It's not a black or white thing--it's a sucky movie thing. Can you dig?
- JuniorBruce
- Jan 23, 2007
- Permalink
Now normally, I'm not a fan of these kind of movies. But I work at a movie theatre and got to see this the night before it was released for free, so I sat back and watched. I expected a cheesy movie with some cool moves, but this dance movie gave much more. An interesting (yet predictable) story, an interesting lead, and incredible dancing. Stomp the Yard is as much entertainment as any film I've seen recently.
After a rage-fueled brawl takes his brother's (singer Chris Brown in a cameo) life, DJ (Columbus Short) moves out of the streets of L.A. and in with his aunt and uncle (Harry Lennix of The Matrix Series). His uncle allows him to start college and start a job, giving him the chance to start over. DJ soon meets a friend in his roommate Rich (singer Ne-Yo) and the beautiful daughter of the school's president (Meagan Good of Waist Deep).
You may be wondering how the dancing and stepping fits in with the plot, but that is the interesting thing. Even without the musical aspect of the film, Stomp the Yard would be a decent film. It's a good drama that puts the stepping in as entertainment. And boy does it work. The choreography is simply brilliant, blowing all other dancing movies of recent memory (Step Up, Take the Lead, You Got Served) out of the water. In a small, yet important role, Chris Brown will amaze you even more with his incredible ability at just 17 years of age. Columbus Short not only proves he can dance in the film, but he can act as well. Short gives a good performance and provides a likable character for us to see. Meagan Good gives another great show, with another good character. Her character, April, is a character that has a lot of depth and is very interesting to watch as she changes throughout the film. And she's very easy on the eyes. In a limited role, Ne-Yo does what is asked of him, but I'm not sold on him as an actor. The choreography gets a 10 out of 10 from me, because like I said before, it is original, stylish, fresh, and simply breathtaking to watch these people perform them. You'll see backflips, barrel rolls, head spins, kicks, middle fingers, and all that in between, not to mention multiple mixes of them all. The music used in the film is great too. The songs are always used in the right place, like in the beginning, when very hardcore, almost heavy metal sounding rap is used to display the mood of seriousness of the scene. The only downfall of this film is the writing and its running time. It is a little too long (almost 2 hours) and far too predictable. There were five of us in the theatre, and we all predicted at least one thing each that would happen in the film. It is a fault that you can easily overlook if you take the film for what it is: an entertaining musical that actually has a good story and good performances. Stomp the Yard will surprise you, so don't judge it before you see it. There really isn't much language beyond use of the n-word, and there are some violent scenes. I recommend this film to anyone ages 13 and up, but boys of ages 15-18 will like it the best.
8/10 --spy
After a rage-fueled brawl takes his brother's (singer Chris Brown in a cameo) life, DJ (Columbus Short) moves out of the streets of L.A. and in with his aunt and uncle (Harry Lennix of The Matrix Series). His uncle allows him to start college and start a job, giving him the chance to start over. DJ soon meets a friend in his roommate Rich (singer Ne-Yo) and the beautiful daughter of the school's president (Meagan Good of Waist Deep).
You may be wondering how the dancing and stepping fits in with the plot, but that is the interesting thing. Even without the musical aspect of the film, Stomp the Yard would be a decent film. It's a good drama that puts the stepping in as entertainment. And boy does it work. The choreography is simply brilliant, blowing all other dancing movies of recent memory (Step Up, Take the Lead, You Got Served) out of the water. In a small, yet important role, Chris Brown will amaze you even more with his incredible ability at just 17 years of age. Columbus Short not only proves he can dance in the film, but he can act as well. Short gives a good performance and provides a likable character for us to see. Meagan Good gives another great show, with another good character. Her character, April, is a character that has a lot of depth and is very interesting to watch as she changes throughout the film. And she's very easy on the eyes. In a limited role, Ne-Yo does what is asked of him, but I'm not sold on him as an actor. The choreography gets a 10 out of 10 from me, because like I said before, it is original, stylish, fresh, and simply breathtaking to watch these people perform them. You'll see backflips, barrel rolls, head spins, kicks, middle fingers, and all that in between, not to mention multiple mixes of them all. The music used in the film is great too. The songs are always used in the right place, like in the beginning, when very hardcore, almost heavy metal sounding rap is used to display the mood of seriousness of the scene. The only downfall of this film is the writing and its running time. It is a little too long (almost 2 hours) and far too predictable. There were five of us in the theatre, and we all predicted at least one thing each that would happen in the film. It is a fault that you can easily overlook if you take the film for what it is: an entertaining musical that actually has a good story and good performances. Stomp the Yard will surprise you, so don't judge it before you see it. There really isn't much language beyond use of the n-word, and there are some violent scenes. I recommend this film to anyone ages 13 and up, but boys of ages 15-18 will like it the best.
8/10 --spy
- The_Amazing_Spy_Rises
- Jan 10, 2007
- Permalink
Stomp the Yard was fun, exciting and breathtaking. The dancing was incomparable and I never felt like there wasn't enough of it, (which is often the case in dance movies). I loved the way it was shot and cut because it added to the intensity and difficulty of the dancing. The phrase 'stomp the yard' refers to a style of dance originating in the African community and used almost ritualistically in black fraternities and sororities around the country.
The combination of stepping mixed with hip hop moves was a treat. Dancers are like technology, evolving ever more quickly, as the dancing wasn't quite this good just three years ago in 2004's You Got Served. Anyone who has ever tried to step, 'krump' or break-dance can appreciate the amount of work it takes to do these acrobatic moves.
The movie stars Columbus Short, a refreshing talent. If you're a TV lover, you've seen Columbus on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip as Darius Hawthorne, the newest addition to the writing staff. You may not know that Columbus also toured with the award winning Broadway show Stomp when he was seventeen years old, or that he's choreographed for Britney Spears and starred in Save the Last Dance 2. Columbus also appeared in You Got Served as a dancer.
Dave Scott, who choreographed both movies, has some tricks up his sleeve. If he has excelled this quickly from You Got Served to Stomp the Yard, I can hardly wait for the next thrill ride.
The plot of Stomp the Yard may be predictable, but Columbus Short is nothing short of radiant to watch. It'll be worth keeping an eye out for him as he is going to be a big star. I would definitely see the movie again for the dancing, oh, yeah, and the six-pack abs.
The combination of stepping mixed with hip hop moves was a treat. Dancers are like technology, evolving ever more quickly, as the dancing wasn't quite this good just three years ago in 2004's You Got Served. Anyone who has ever tried to step, 'krump' or break-dance can appreciate the amount of work it takes to do these acrobatic moves.
The movie stars Columbus Short, a refreshing talent. If you're a TV lover, you've seen Columbus on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip as Darius Hawthorne, the newest addition to the writing staff. You may not know that Columbus also toured with the award winning Broadway show Stomp when he was seventeen years old, or that he's choreographed for Britney Spears and starred in Save the Last Dance 2. Columbus also appeared in You Got Served as a dancer.
Dave Scott, who choreographed both movies, has some tricks up his sleeve. If he has excelled this quickly from You Got Served to Stomp the Yard, I can hardly wait for the next thrill ride.
The plot of Stomp the Yard may be predictable, but Columbus Short is nothing short of radiant to watch. It'll be worth keeping an eye out for him as he is going to be a big star. I would definitely see the movie again for the dancing, oh, yeah, and the six-pack abs.
STOMP THE YARD is an old-fashioned college movie about someone who shows up for the wrong reasons and slowly comes to recognize that college offers more than a ticket to a life in a foreign realm: last month I looked at ANNAPOLIS SALUTE from 1937 with exactly the same story, and I don't doubt it was decrepit with age then.
But when you're dealing with an old story, the issue is not the age of the plot -- we can assume it's used because it works and the question becomes one of details. Here, we have the story tricked out with issues of belonging -- to a fraternity -- and dance competitions.
Now the choreography of the movie is excellent -- but the style of dance is about confrontation and aggression And that runs directly contrary to the theme of the movie and is a weakness.
I rush to note that the performances are good, even though some of the characters are written -- particularly the lead, DJ -- as a mass of immiscible contradictions. Unless you are a major fan of this sort of dancing, it's not for you. Stick with the Disney TV movie, JUMP IN! Which is the same movie, only about competitive double-dutch jump rope.
But when you're dealing with an old story, the issue is not the age of the plot -- we can assume it's used because it works and the question becomes one of details. Here, we have the story tricked out with issues of belonging -- to a fraternity -- and dance competitions.
Now the choreography of the movie is excellent -- but the style of dance is about confrontation and aggression And that runs directly contrary to the theme of the movie and is a weakness.
I rush to note that the performances are good, even though some of the characters are written -- particularly the lead, DJ -- as a mass of immiscible contradictions. Unless you are a major fan of this sort of dancing, it's not for you. Stick with the Disney TV movie, JUMP IN! Which is the same movie, only about competitive double-dutch jump rope.
I saw this movie with my wife and 2 kids,(a 7 & 3yr old) and even they liked it! When are people gonna learn to watch movie for what they are and not be so critical! The movie did what it was suppose to, it focus a lot on the art of stepping and dancing and yes they even tried to have a little plot which is what i thought we wanted? I mean if it was more plot than dancing then people would have complained about that! Just like they did with the Fast and Furious movies when they said it wasn't enough focus on the cars and racing and to much plot. Then there's the complaint that the movie was to long, give me a break people! U should be happy about that because after all....u paid $15 to $20 to c it! That is including the popcorn, candy and drinks u bought!lol So why not get your monies worth! I'd be more upset to pay that much and it only lasted an hour, but thats just me. I personally enjoyed the music,the dancing and stepping because that was what the movie was all about. Grow up people. Holla i'm out!
- jmjackson292002
- Jan 16, 2007
- Permalink
As a member of the First sorority created by African American women at Howard University in 1908,Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, and a recent graduate of a Historically Black University (Clark Atlanta University which is the college that was used as the set for Stomp the Yard, Drumline, and School Daze)I must say the movie was exactly as I expected, an extremely exaggerated display of Greek-life and the HBCU experience. The hard work and dedication in being a member of a Greek-letter organization goes so far beyond stepping and strolling on the yard. My problem is I hope that the "teens" this movie attracts will be able to decipher between REALITY and what was displayed on the screen, because it is not very realistic that on any HBCU campus will you find a student with a landscaping work study, non Greek students at functions throwing up the signs of Greek Letter organizations (a huge no-no), or a first semester college freshman with NO academic history at the university pledging. Not to mention the entire process of being an interest in an BGLO that has been extremely distorted!!!! I advise those who are truly interested in the "greek experience" or life at an HBCU not rely on this movie as a guide, take it for what it is, your typical Predominantly Black Cast movie with a corny plot and a few hot dance movies. From discussing the movie with other college students or graduates, I have found that typically the Greeks from HBCUs and HBCU non Greeks think the movie is corny, but students and Greeks who did not attend HBCUs seemed to like it. I say to truly get the experience of the HBCU, you have to experience it for yourself and there is nothing in the world like it, and Stomp the Yard definitely did not capture that experience!!!! (School Daze twenty years later still has done what no other movie has done in capturing the HBCU experience)