"Stick It" Movie Review

"Stick It" has the tried and true plot of the underdog athlete rising to the top, except this athlete, Haley Graham (played by Missy Peregrym), was already at the top until she walked out of a gymnastics competition that cost Team USA the gold medal. She traded her leotards for a stunt bike, but in a twist of events has to climb back into leotards to avoid jail time.

Although the plot is predictable, it is full of witty and funny lines. Peregrym is perfectly casted as Haley. She portrays the rebellious smart-mouthed teen in baggy clothes and fiery controversial gymnast in leotards with easy transition. However, she does overshadow the other gymnasts and actresses, including Joanne Charis (played by Vanessa Lengies) who has the funniest misnomers.

Holding his own is Jeff Bridges, who plays Haley's coach with an equally notorious reputation Burt Vickerman. Bridges nicely portrays the interesting depth of Burt's character. Other underdog athletes have that believe-against-all-odds coach, but Burt's main motivation is money and not making his ruined reputation worse. Just as Burt and Haley need each other, Bridges and Peregrym play off each other with a comfortable chemistry, from fast banter filled scenes to tear tensed ones.

The stunts and routines in this movie are shot impressively. They were meant to be enjoyed. There are stunts shot in an almost straight-forward way (slow motion interjected here and there) that shows off the athletes' impressive skills. There are also overlaid scenes, where stunts and routines were digitally superimposed on top of each other, creating a mix of colors and patterns with the gymansts' bodies. It's fun with the computer, and a good way to avoid cutting out other gymnasts' much practiced routines.

Director Jessica Bendinger made a good call with casting so many gymnasts not just as stunt/dance doubles, but as actresses too, such as Nastia Luikin (who played herself) and Maddy Curley (who played Mina Hoyt). She also casted break-dancer Alex 'B-Girl Shorty' Welch as Nikki SooHoo's dance double, who brought authenticity into Wei Wei's hip-hop/break-dance routine on the balance beam.

There is a realistic aspect to how Bendinger shot the gymnastic competitions, opting for well-lighted gyms instead of spotlight-light filled ones. But she does take the creative license when the elite gymnasts start scratching on purpose. Who'd actually do that? Probably nobody.

With a well-placed and thumping soundtrack, enough attitude, and a loose-ends-tied ending, "Stick It" is an enjoyable movie where audiences can escape into a world not called gym-nice-tics.