I remember when I first saw the trailer for this teen comedy flick a couple years ago I thought I'd never ever watch it in my life. Little did I know it was actually quite entertaining and funny. The TV spots were even more disadvantageous to my cinematic tastes. Even so, it was recommended to me by a fellow movie buff, so I gave it a peek.
Fired Up! starts out at a fictitious high school in Illinois. Ironically the mascot for the team is the same as my high school alma mater, the Tigers. Although it didn't take place at the same high school in Illinois, the field and school logo resembled some nostalgia. This film is basically about two popular high school football players that have the bright idea to attend cheerleader camp. "2 guys. 300 girls. You do the math." Not knowing what they're in for, they actually end up having feelings for two of the cheerleaders and enjoy cheering. I know, it sounds kinda like a romantic comedy at this point, but it's really not. Throughout the movie the two jocks crack jokes and seduce girls at an alarming rate. It's quite entertaining really.
Nicholas D'Agosto plays the dark-haired fellow named Shawn Colfax. He's appeared in several small TV roles and more recently in movies. I'm most familiar with him being Hunter from NBC's The Office, who is Jan's receptionist (Michael Scott's boss at the time). Haha that musical CD his character had during the Dinner Party episode was hilarious. D'Agosto will also be appearing in Final Destination 5 this August. The trailer looks pretty cool. I thought D'Agosto did a fine job in Fired Up!.
The other blonde-haired jock is played by Eric Christian Olsen, his character's name is Nick Brady. He's most notably from 2001′s Not Another Teen Movie where he plays "The Cocky Blonde Guy." Makes sense.
The director of Fired Up! is Will Gluck. Although I have never seen it and probably should (probably cause it's a rom-com), he directed Easy A, starring Emma Stone. He also directed Friends With Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, which comes out next Friday, July 22nd.
Overall I thought this movie was great for our generation of Millennials. As unfortunate as it may be we grew up with MTV and silly slap-stick raunchy comedies. I can totally understand why the critics gave it a bad rap. As reluctant as I am to rate it a "Four Star Rating," it will only be getting a six. The acting was sloppy and the only thing that kept me interested at times was all the cheerleading eye-candy.
6/10 Stars.
