Fired Up follows Shawn and Nick; two high school football stars that decide to ditch out on their usual football summer camp and instead enlist in a summer cheerleading camp where they attempt to hook up with every female there.
Fired Up is NOT a cheer leading film. It's NOT Bring It On nor does it resemble a film like that in any way, shape, or form. True, it does throw in a few cheer antics for the female demographic but for most of the film our focus is on Nick and Shawn and, while it may veer off into rom-com territory near the end, for the most part it is a pure guy comedy.
From the beginning of the film, which focuses on our two would-be girl obsessed heroes as they escape from the fathers of some girls they were planning on banging, we are quickly introduced to what this film essentially is: A sex comedy. The film is about sex, guys' obsession with the act and with girls in general, and the lengths guys will go to get a piece of the action.
The main actors that portray Nick (Eric Christian Olsen) and Shawn (Nicholas D'Agosto) do a pretty bang up job. They are perfectly materialistic and shallow but also pretty smart (You'd have to be to get away with what these two do), making tons of wise-cracks and observations about the new world of women they find themselves in once they enter the camp. They don't bother to remember girls names that they meet and look at women as nothing but objects to be played with and then tossed away when something prettier and more desirable walks by. While some may be offended with the two main leads, I personally loved the hell out of them. Handled the wrong way they could come across as complete assholes, but here they are lovably cool and funny. They work great together and help to raise the film up to a higher level here.
The script itself is one of the stronger ones sampled in a comedy. It manages to be surprisingly smart with its material. Most of the jokes manage to emit a genuine laugh from me every time, not to mention the numerous one-liners are instant classics, like the one seen at the beginning of this review which shall forever be part of my vocabulary till the day I die.
The supporting characters are ok, the most memorable one being Poppy (Juliette Goglia); Shawn's younger sister that has the attitude of a whip-smart sarcastic adult. Her first scene she is in is absolutely hilarious and most of the lines she is given are just as funny as her first few. She's not given much screen time but manages to make a lasting impression.
One of the film's only weaker points is the story. While the initial plot is pretty clever, the twist of Nick falling in love with one of the cheer captains; Carly (Sarah Roemer); and having to compete with her douchey boyfriend; Dr. Rick (David Walton, an absolute thick-headed treat on the big screen); is not. There are some good humorous moments that come from Rick's character and his pompous brainlessness, but in the end Nick's falling in love hinders the film as it gives a chance for the two leads to realize that they are just as bad as Rick and to change their naughty ways (GAG ME... I personally prefer the two when they are shallow women loving jocks...but whatever).
In the end, Fired Up may have a few misfires along the way to its satisfying conclusion, but that doesn't detract from any of the comedy found within the film. Fired Up is a real guy film that also manages to be surprisingly smart at times, quite a treat if you ask me.
3/5 stars
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