| Film Review
Just one week after seeing a movie about a teenagers' life in the ghetto, I dove into another movie with a similar style.
That, however, is where the similarities ended. Stomp the Yard tells the story of young D.J. (played by Columbus Short), a
19-year-old dancer. Life is good for both D.J. and his younger brother, Duron. The brothers cruise the underground clubs showing off
their dancing skills, earning money along the way. However, after upstaging another set of dancers, things get ugly and after a fight
between the two groups, Duron is left for dead when fatally shot. Arrested for assaulted battery, D.J. chooses to enroll in school rather
than face the consequences of jail. He enrolls in the all-black school Truth University, home of a tradition simply known as 'stomping
the yard' - a combination of march-stepping and dancing. Because of his superior dance skills, D.J. becomes the object of two
fraternities' desire, and their conquest for the National Stepping Championship. Unfortunately, D.J. sees no value in stomping the yard,
and spends his time falling in love with the Dean's daughter, April. After some research into the sport, and his need to feel accepted
at Truth; D.J. finally joins a fraternity and promises to take his team to a national victory; something the fraternity hasn't won in 7 years.
I really liked the concept of 'stomping the yard,' something I had no prior knowledge of. Besides its obvious entertainment, the
art of stepping actually has long roots in history and tradition dating back to the middle of the 17th century. Several scenes in the
movie show this highly competitive and elaborate art, making it the true primary core of the movie; as it is intended to be. These scenes
turn out to be highly entertaining, and you notice that the movie crew put a lot of time and effort into these parts of the film.
Unfortunately, that's about all the director put much of his time into.
Now I know that I am an incredibly literature-based critic (meaning I look for the same form I read in fiction books, as I do in
fiction movies), and this movie made some basic errors. As many of you may have already guessed, this movie is easily thought out and
predictable. I attended the movie with a friend of mine, and would periodically lean over and tell her what I thought would happen in the
next scene. Nine out of 10 times I was right. The film also contained several scenes that only lasted several seconds and seemed to have no point to
them. They acted as 'fillers' designed to make the movie last over 90 minutes. In fact, there was one period of scenes that seemed to
have no sequential order to them, and spurred me to ask my friend, "What just happened?". Either I was too stupid to follow along closely,
or it truly just did not make any sense. All of this points to the fact that intentionally or not, the director hopes to carry this
movie's success on the shoulders of its stepping and dancing scenes, rather than plot and story. While most of you won't mind the missing
plot and its inherent predictably, it ends up being a minor annoyance during the film's runtime.
The movie's content is the norm amongst teen films. Sporadic cursing doted the picture, though I couldn't recall a serious problem.
Gang violence is depicted in just the opening sequence with a character getting shot and a blood stain covering most of his shirt.
The underground club sequences has its run of questionable content with your typical raunchy dance moves, immodest clothing and cleavage,
and the like. Although the viewers are left to their imaginations, one scene has a distraught April seeking D.J.'s dorm room as a means
of emotional (and possibly physical) escape.
Despite my hampering, Stomp the Yard does have its moments. We, as the audience, learn to appreciate and respect D.J., who
is played quite marvelously by budding actor Columbus Short. D.J. attends school despite the fact that he doesn't like the 'college boy'
lifestyle. He learns to stick it out, and is rewarded in the end by both love and friendship. He also earns the respect of April, the
Dean's daughter, even defending her honor at one point in the dance hall. Despite his rough history, he learns to use what he has
(good character, dance skills) for good.
All in all, I left the movie with mixed feelings. I felt that the movie had portrayed D.J. and the art and atmosphere of 'stomping
the yard' with solid portrayals. I also felt that the movie had left a lot out, seeking to fill the missing parts with more dancing and
stepping scenes. Nevertheless, as the credits of the film rolled, several members of the audience started to clap until the entire
theatre was drenched with applause- a tribute to the closing scene and perhaps undying message of tradition, values, and honor;
even if the audience got a little distracted along the way.
If you have any questions or comments about the film before you see it (if you
decide to), feel free to e-mail us.
- Zachary Anderson
(reviewed: 1/14/07)
Parental Guide: Brief Summary of Content
 Sex/Nudity: A few minor references, as well as several scenes that involve scantily clad women. It is implied that April is going to sleep with D.J., although it is not seen.
Vulgarity/Language:
1 "s" word, 10+ "h*ll;" 1 "g*dd*mn," an additional 15-plus other crudities and profanities are spoken ("d*mn," the "a" word, "b*tch"), including
several uses of the "n" word. A middle finger is given (paraphrased from pluggedinonline.com)
Alcohol/Drugs:
Club-bound characters consume drinks, as well as others throughout the film.
Blood/Gore:
A character is beaten up then shot in the opening sequence, blood is seen on his clothes.
Violence:
A few scenes show gang and domestic violence in various forms.
** Disclaimer: All reviews are based solely on the opinions of the reviewer. Most
reviews are rated on how the reviewer enjoyed the film overall, not on content. However, if the content
really affects the reviewer's opinion of the film, it will definitely affect the reviewer's rating.
|
** (see below notation)
- for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language.
After the death of his younger brother, a troubled 19-year-old street dancer from Los Angeles is able to bypass juvenile hall
by enrolling in the historically black, Truth University in Atlanta, Georgia. But his efforts to get an education and woo the girl he
likes are sidelined when he is courted by the top two campus fraternities, both of which want and need his fierce street-style dance
moves to win the highly coveted National Stepping Championship.
(from IMDB.com)
