Of all the films that I've sat through this summer, Bring it On was one that I really expected to hate. To my surprise, I walked away with a smile on my face.

In Bring it On, Kirsten Dunst (Interview with a Vampire), is the leader of an eager cheerleading squad who suffers a major blow when she learns that many of her teams' moves were actually copied from another squad, courtesy of their previous leader. Through a lot of grueling work, Dunst sets out to prove that her team still has what it takes to be the best.

Bring it On is a harmless, if pretentious, high school comedy in the tradition of Clueless, and last year's modeling satire Drop Dead Gorgeous. It greatly benefits from it's spunky cast headed by Dunst, Eliza Dushku (TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and the rival cheerleader squad featuring R&B group Blaque. Jesse Bradford is also likable as the new object of Dunst's affection. Watch for Ian Roberts in a hilarious bit as an abrasive choreographer.

Bring it On also features actual cheerleaders and some of their routines are spectacular. Earlier this year, we saw Center Stage, a film about professional dancing that opened our eyes to the great physical demands involved. Similarly this film shows cheerleadering as a passion that requires a good amount of athleticism. What these cheerleading squads do is no small shake of a pom pom.

If I have a complaint about Bring it On, it is it's lack of consistency. It starts off quite satirical, but then backs off with cheesy sentimentality and typical youth comedy humor. It would have been nice to see it maintain it's edge (like in Election). As it stands, however, Bring it On isn't a bad film. It's peppy and brisk and I'd certainly rather watch these cheerleaders than those boring bartenders over at the Coyote Ugly.