When the Bring It On people say that Bring It On is back in an all new movie, they're not just whistlin' Dixie. The first movie really is the star of the third movie. It's been six years since I saw the original, but as far as I can tell, Bring It On: All or Nothing is the exact same story with different kids. Weirdly, cheerleaders are so much fun that it doesn't even matter.

Hayden Panettiere stars as Britney, captain of the cheer squad and girlfriend of the school's star quarterback. She writes new cheers every night and still manages to maintain a C average. She's on top of the world when her parents announce that they're moving. OMG! Senior year is ruined... or is it?

When Britney arrives at her new, predominantly black school, she immediately butts heads with Camille (Solange Knowles Smith), who just happens to be captain of the cheer squad. Wow, didn't see that coming! The two exchange insults and generally try to outshine one another. Even though Britney has a lot to offer the cheer squad, she promised never to be a "cheer whore." For the first few months, she exists as an outsider at her new school, and does her best to stay friends with her old squad and to keep up with her creepy boyfriend. As in the the first movie, he's a self-absorbed cad who looks 35, and keeps pressuring Britney to go all the way. His true nature is exposed with hilarious lines like, "We [football players] get ass up the ass" or "Dude, I'll beat the dude out of you."

Eventually Britney gives in to her need to cheer, and she and Camille learn to respect one another. And then guess what happens—Britney winds up in a cheer-off against her old school! How's that for a plot twist?! This time, they're auditioning for a Rihanna video, and I suppose if I were actually a teenager, I would know that this is VERY cool. Luckily, the DVD comes with a free subscription to Teen People, so by this time next year, I'll be in the know. Woo-hoo!

Through this experience, Britney learns that her old friends weren't quite as friendly as she thought—one in particular turns out to be a backstabbing vixen, and a racist to boot. As Camille points out, "I treat you better than your 'friends' do, and I don't even like you." Bring it On: All or Nothing has a surprisingly positive message about true friendship and sisterhood.

This straight-to-video sequel feels like a knock-off in every way. The story is recycled directly from the first film, and the major players all look like off-brand versions of bigger stars—Hayden Panettiere is our Jewel stand-in, Solange Knowles brings the Beyonce factor, and Marcy Rylan is a dead ringer for Lauren Holly. Even so, these spirited cheer girls are fun to watch, and I'm pleased to report that someone actually took the time to give them some very funny one-liners. The cheerleaders speak in IM abbreviations (LOL), oh, except for the really dumb one who sometimes just spells. F-U-N-N-Y!

I must confess that I sort of love movies about cheerleaders. I never was big on school spirit, but somehow movies like Bring it On and Sugar and Spice manage to poke fun at the cheerleading scene in such a cheerful way that you can't help smiling. This guilty pleasure may just find you delving into the extras (including a cheer tutorial and a cheer camp featurette) to learn a few moves for yourself.