Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Columbus Short as DJ
Meagan Good as April
Ne-Yo as Rich Brown
Darrin Dewitt Henson as Grant
Brian J. White as Sylvester
Laz Alonso as Zeke
Valarie Pettiford as Jackie
Jermaine Williams as Noel
Allan Louis as Dr. Palmer
Harry J. Lennix as Nate
Chris Brown as Duron
Oliver Ryan Best as Easy
Richmond Duain Martyn as Mark
Justin Hires as Byron
Michael Ngaujah as Harold
Special Features:
Commentary by: Filmmaker
“Battles.Rivals.Brothers.” The Story of Stomp the Yard featurette
Bonus Dance Sequences: Get Buck & Opening Battle
Deleted scene: The Clean Up
Gag Reel
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.40:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French Language
French Subtitles
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official DVD description:
“DJ (Columbus Short), an amazing underground street dancer, hasn’t been in college for a day before he’s entranced by the lovely April (Meagan Good).Working as a gardener to pay the bills, DJ doesn’t fit in with the wealthier students around campus, but one thing does catch his attention the rival fraternity competitions known as stepping. With April’s help, DJ learns about the legacy and heritage behind the fraternities and decides to join up. Now part of an official step group, DJ must balance rehearsals, work, and school, while at the same time winning the heart of the girl of his dreams. With the National Step Championship drawing closer, DJ must learn to stop dancing as an individual, and start stepping as a team.”
“Stomp the Yard” is rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language.
The Movie:
After barely surviving a deadly street fight, young DJ (Columbus Short) is packed off to Atlanta to attend fictional Truth University (an amalgam of sorts of Howard University and Morehouse College) and possibly rise above the circumstances of his life. But first he has to get over the guilt he feels for his brother’s (Chris Brown) death and reengage with life again, and the way to do that just might be the local fraternities step line.
It’s a little bit of a musical, a little bit of a sports film, a little bit coming-of-age story. And none of it, beyond the dancing, any good.
At first feeling isolated and alone, DJ starts to open up when he encounters beautiful co-ed April (Meagan Good), who is unfortunately involved with the local step line champ and all-around jerk, Grant (Darrin Dewitt Henson). In an effort to show Grant up and get April’s attention he joins the opposing fraternity, but despite himself he soon, oh god, it’s so clichéd I can’t even finish writing it. Needless to say, however you think the story goes, you’re probably right.
It touches on themes of classism and the use of education and true fraternity as the only real way to combat poverty and it’s attendant crime. It would be an understatement to suggest that there is nothing remotely novel about “Stomp the Yard’s” themes or approach. It’s all been done better by much better films, and will no doubt be done better again in the future. “Stomp the Yard” adds nothing to any of the genres it works in.
Considering it’s the main selling point of the film, a lot of time and attention has been given to the dance routines, and the choreography by Dave Scott is first rate. Some of the more traditional step routines tend to blend into one another after a while, but when it lets go it reaches levels of athleticism and grace similar to ballet or martial arts exhibitions. Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn’t quite reach those heights.
DJ only shows any sort of personality when he’s dancing; the rest of the time he meanders about, mumbling his lines in a dull monotone. It’s supposed to be representative of his detachment from the rest of the world and his struggle to reconnect and learn to work with others, I imagine. Of course for that angle to work it would require his performance to actually change as the film goes on, and it doesn’t. It seems like Short’s reading off cue cards, either too bored or unsure of the material to know what to do with it.
And he’s not actually a bad actor. He’s done decent work elsewhere, particularly Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60,” when he has worked with talented, experienced, and above all, competent, directors. And therein lies all the difference.
“Stomp the Yard” is director Sylvain White’s feature debut after a few years of toiling in direct-to-video land, and if this is the quality we can expect from him, he should go back there. It’s unimaginative at the best of times; at the worst (particularly during an early training montage) it is simply inept. Relatively important story points seem to be passed over in order to make room for more dancing, and at each turn of the plot, more and more garish clichés are drudged up, dutifully moving things along to the next routine.
It should come as no surprise that the story isn’t as important as the dancing is, it’s certainly not what people are going to see the movie for, but they could have tried. So much of “Stomp the Yard” comes from Hollywood Formula 101 that I wonder if it wasn’t actually written by computer or studio fiat. The credits list White’s direct-to-video accomplice Gregory Anderson and Robert Adetuyi (who I just can’t seem to escape), but I’m not convinced.
If you’re going just for the dancing there’s probably some enjoyment to be had – “Stomp the Yard” is energetic and well choreographed – but the rest is just clichéd tripe.
The Extras:
The bonus features on this DVD are fairly standard. You have your usual commentary, gag reel, and ‘making of’ featuette. “Battles.Rivals.Brothers.” The Story of Stomp the Yard is 17 minutes long and covers the making of the movie. You’ll also find some extra dance sequences – Get Buck & Opening Battle as well as a deleted scene entitled “The Clean Up”. It shows the freshmen starting a Stomp-like dance number while cleaning up after practice.
The Bottom Line:
If you only care about the dancing and nothing else, “Stomp the Yard” is worth checking out. Otherwise you’ll find better dancing films elsewhere.
