I’m sexy, I’m cute, I’m popular to boot… uh sorry, wrong film. That’s right, you’re meant to be doing the math: 2 guys, 300 girls. A simple tagline brings a simple premise; high-school jocks hoping to score with the ladies. We’ve seen this all before, but the experiment of trying to mix American teen sub-genres comes out a mixed bag.

Fired Up brings nothing new to the table as we see Shawn (Nicholas D’Agosto) and Nick (Eric Christian Olsen) do ‘whatever it takes’ to get some action. By ditching their gruelling football boot-camp for cheer camp (hence, creating a jock-cheer teen film), to the viewer they subconsciously emasculate themselves in the process. Most on-screen however, are blind to their charms and although Tigers cheer-captain Carly’s initial scepticism serves up a cold dish, there’s not enough to suggest that this film won’t follow the same path as its predecessors.

Appealing cheerleader films usually incorporate headstrong girls who try to buck the American ‘ditzy’ teen cliché. The film’s most ironic (and perhaps most comical) moment comes as the girls recite Bring It On word for word. The inspiration is obvious as this aspires to be a cheerleader film with a bit more bite but ends up being a bit more mindless. It’s only one of many openly referenced comments, most of which surround Dr. Rick (David Walton), Carly’s boyfriend who has CRINGE stamped on his forehead as the biggest cliché in the book. It’s unnerving that Sarah Roemer’s Carly is meant to be so in control of herself while she’s with a total douche, and the paradox is reflective of how most of this genre carries its female characters out. We’re subjected to a typical formula with influences thrown in as homage as well as a mix of old and new pop songs, but first-time director Will Gluck doesn’t handle the material terribly, frequently using segues to pass the time and help the film flow through its short 89 minutes.

The boys themselves only have a sometimes engaging compliance with one another as two best friends who know each other inside out and have each other’s backs. Laughs come from Olsen’s brashness as Nick, while D’Agosto as Shawn balances him out with a more serious manner and is the most likable character – but it’s when they recite their cheers so intently that brings a sense of absurdity to the film. The first script from Freedom Jones gives the impression that Fired Up’s trying way too hard and only results in a few mediocre laughs. Luckily, one blooper at the end does attempt to rectify that…

Verdict:

It fails to get you really Fired Up, but appreciating it’s all been done before makes it bearable.

Fired Up opens in Australia on Thursday April 22.

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