Bring It On: Fight to the Finish Rankings And Opinions

If you grew up quoting “Brr, it’s cold in here” under your breath at random moments, chances are the
Bring It On franchise has permanent residence in your pop-culture brain. By the time
Bring It On: Fight to the Finish arrived in 2009, the series had already gone full
direct-to-video, swapped casts multiple times, and become a comfort-watch staple for cheer fans and
sleepovers everywhere.

But where exactly does Fight to the Finish rank among the other
Bring It On movies? Is it an underrated gem with elite pyramids and a killer soundtrack, or just
another mid-2000s teen movie lost in a sea of sequins and ponytails? Let’s break down the plot, the
performances, the cheerleading, and what both critics and fans really think today.

Cheat Sheet: What Is Bring It On: Fight to the Finish?

Bring It On: Fight to the Finish is the fifth film in the
Bring It On franchise, a 2009 teen comedy directed by Bille Woodruff and released straight to DVD
and Blu-ray. It stars Christina Milian as Catalina “Lina” Cruz, a tough East L.A. cheerleader who’s forced
to move to a fancy Malibu high school when her mom remarries a wealthy widower.

At her new school, Lina clashes with Avery Whitbourne (Rachele Brooke Smith), the ultra-competitive
cheer captain, while simultaneously crushing on Avery’s brother, Evan (Cody Longo). With help from her
old teammates and her new stepsister Sky, Lina tries to transform the underdog Sea Lions into a
championship-level squad and take Avery down at the big spirit competition.

The movie leans into fish-out-of-water tension, class differences between East L.A. and Malibu, and
the classic cheer-movie promise: epic showdowns in glittery uniforms with high-risk stunts performed to
impossibly catchy pop songs.

Where Fight to the Finish Ranks in the Bring It On Franchise

Over 20 years after the original Bring It On, ranking the franchise has practically become a sport
of its own. Cheer-centric and entertainment outlets have weighed in with their own “from worst to best”
lists, and Fight to the Finish lands surprisingly solidly in the middle of the pack.

Mid-tier but memorable in fan and critic rankings

Inside Cheerleading magazine’s definitive franchise ranking places
Fight to the Finish at number five, sitting ahead of Bring It On Again but behind
sequels like In It to Win It and Worldwide #Cheersmack.
Other lists, like Collider’s overview of every Bring It On movie, similarly keep
Fight to the Finish in that “not the worst, not the best, but fun if you love cheer movies”
middle category.

On user-driven platforms, the verdict is a bit kinder. Some Letterboxd reviewers call it their
“favorite sequel” precisely because it remembers to give Lina a clear emotional arc and keeps the friend
group lovable, even when the dialogue feels very 2009.
The IMDb user rating hovers in the low-to-mid 5s out of 10again, classic mid-tier sequel territory.

How critics see it vs. how fans watch it

Parents-and-kids site Common Sense Media gives the movie 2 out of 5 stars, pointing to stereotypical
mean-girl behavior, mild language, and lots of verbal sparring, but little actual physical violence.
From a critic’s point of view, the film doesn’t reinvent the cheer wheel and often leans on familiar
teen-movie shortcuts.

Fans, however, tend to file it under “guilty pleasure” rather than “cinematic masterpiece.” It’s the kind
of movie people rewatch for the routines, the flirting, and the comfort of a formula they already love.
In other words: it’s not winning Oscars, but it’s always welcome on a Friday-night sleepover playlist.

What Fight to the Finish Actually Does Well

1. A charismatic lead and a mostly likable squad

Christina Milian brings real star power to Lina. She’s witty, ambitious, and visibly frustrated by the
class divide between her old life and her new Malibu world. The film gives her a classic “I won’t apologize
for where I came from” attitude, which resonates more now in an era where conversations about class,
culture, and identity are louder than ever.

Supporting characters like Gloria, Treyvonetta, and stepsister Sky add flavor instead of feeling like
throwaway extras. They get jokes, mini-arcs, and real moments of growth as they learn to trust each other
and actually function as a team.

2. Class and culture clashes with a cheer twist

The movie’s core conflict isn’t just “our squad vs. their squad,” but “East L.A. authenticity vs. Malibu
privilege.” Lina and her friends bring a different style of dancing and cheering into a polished but
snobby school environment, and the movie frames that clash as both a challenge and an opportunity.

While the script doesn’t dive deeply into systemic issues, it at least acknowledges how class and culture
shape opportunitywho gets the nice gym, the better uniforms, the elite coachingand how talent can still
come from underfunded spaces.

3. High-energy routines and a legitimately fun soundtrack

If you’re watching a Bring It On sequel, you’re here for the routinesand
Fight to the Finish delivers enough high kicks, basket tosses, and synchronized hair flips
to justify the runtime. The choreography is a mash-up of traditional cheer, hip-hop-influenced movement,
and dance-team staging that feels very late-2000s in the best way.

The soundtrack leans into upbeat pop and Latin-influenced tracks, with artists like Christina Milian
herself, Prima J, The Veronicas, and others on the official album.
Even if you don’t remember every plot point, you’ll probably remember at least one routine-song pairing
that gets stuck in your head.

Where Fight to the Finish Struggles

1. Direct-to-video budget and familiar story beats

Because this installment went straight to DVD, it doesn’t have the cinematic shine of the original
Bring It On. You can see it in the smaller sets, the limited crowd shots, and the way competitions
are staged. The energy is there, but it occasionally feels more like a high-end TV movie than a big-screen
event.

Story-wise, we’re firmly in comfort-food territory: new school, mean queen bee, cute love interest, big
competition, redemption. If you’re looking for genre-busting experimentation, this is not that film.

2. Stereotypes and dated dialogue

Like many teen movies from the late 2000s, Fight to the Finish occasionally leans into
stereotypesthe rich, blonde villain; the “ghetto vs. glam” dynamic; the catty banter that would probably
get toned down in a 2020s script. Parents’ sites note the “plenty of posturing and verbal abuse” between
girls, even though actual physical violence is minimal.

That said, fans who revisit the film usually do so with a mix of nostalgia and a mental disclaimer:
“Some of this is dated, but the cheer routines still slap.”

Rankings and Opinions: Breaking It Down

How the movie ranks on key cheer-movie metrics

• Choreography: B+ Energetic, fun, and stunt-heavy enough to rewatch.
• Main character arc: B Lina gets a clear journey from frustrated outsider to confident leader.
• Villain energy: B+ Avery is classic “smirking rival captain” material.
• Laughs: B- Solid one-liners and side-character humor, but not wall-to-wall comedy.
• Originality: C+ Comfortable, predictable, and heavily formula-driven.

Top reasons fans still enjoy Fight to the Finish

1. Relatable outsider story. Lina’s discomfort in Malibu and loyalty to her East L.A.
   roots feel emotionally grounded, even when the dialogue goes over the top.
2. Strong female lead. Christina Milian plays Lina as confident but not perfectshe makes
   mistakes, misjudges people, and has to earn her squad’s trust.
3. Female friendships with real stakes. The tension between old friends and new teammates
   gives the movie emotional weight beyond “win the trophy.”
4. Replay-worthy routines. Many fans admit they rewatch specific final-competition scenes
   on YouTube or streaming just to see the stunts again.
5. Comfort-movie vibes. It’s the kind of film you put on when you want sparkly uniforms,
   light drama, and a guaranteed happy ending.

Why some viewers rank it lower than other sequels

• It can’t escape the original’s shadow. The first Bring It On is still considered
  the gold standard of cheer movies, with sharper satire and more memorable dialogue.
• Budget limitations show. Compared with the original’s bigger crowds and production
  value, some of the big moments here feel smaller.
• Familiar formula. By movie five, viewers know the beats: underdogs, makeover, rivalry,
  love interest, final face-off, slow-mo celebration.

How and When to Watch Fight to the Finish

Fight to the Finish has become a cable and streaming regular over the years, popping up
on various platforms and TV schedules as a teen-movie staple. Sites like TV Insider and AZMovies list it as
a PG-13 comedy with a runtime just over 100 minutes, perfectly sized for a casual movie night.

The ideal watch setting? A themed movie marathon where you go through the franchise in order. The contrast
between the 2000 theatrical original and the later direct-to-video sequels makes for a fun informal film
study: you can watch how styles change, how cheer choreography evolves, and how teen-movie tropes get
recycled and remixed over time.

Personal Experiences and Takeaways from Fight to the Finish

Watching Bring It On: Fight to the Finish today feels a bit like opening a time capsule
from 2009. The side bangs, the fashion, the slangeverything screams late-2000s teen culture. But once you
get past the surface, the movie becomes an interesting little case study in how franchise sequels work and
why some of them stick around in people’s memories.

One of the most striking things about revisiting the movie is how clearly it’s designed for repeat
viewing. The plot is easy to follow even if you’re half-distracted. You can drop into the middle, catch a
cheer routine or a hallway confrontation, and instantly know who’s mad at whom and why. That makes it ideal
background viewing while you’re doing homework, cleaning, or scrolling through your phone.

The class and culture clash also lands differently now than it did in 2009. Back then, the
“East L.A. girl in Malibu” setup felt like a familiar teen-movie hook; today, it reads as a reminder of how
much access and resources can shape opportunity in sports and extracurriculars. Lina’s squad is clearly
talented long before they ever get the “nice” uniforms or the polished practice space. If you’ve ever been
part of an underfunded team, club, or arts program, that part hits close to home.

Another surprisingly relatable thread is the step-family dynamic. Lina doesn’t just have to adjust to a new
schoolshe has to figure out her relationship with a new stepdad and a stepsister who wants to help but
doesn’t really understand where Lina is coming from at first. The movie keeps this light and PG-13 friendly,
but the emotional beats are there: awkward dinners, clashing expectations, and the slow shift from
strangers to something that looks more like family.

If you’re a cheerleader or dancer, Fight to the Finish also functions as low-key
motivation. The final routines might not meet current competition-circuit standards, but the commitment,
teamwork, and practice montages still tap into that “I want to get up and move” feeling. It’s the kind of
movie that makes you want to stretch a little, try a new move, or at least clap along from the couch.

For longtime Bring It On fans, the movie is best experienced as part of the bigger universe.
Watching it back-to-back with other sequels lets you see what each installment tries to bring to the mat:
different locations, different cultural angles, different versions of the underdog story. In that context,
Fight to the Finish stands out for its focus on Latina lead representation, its Malibu vs.
East L.A. tension, and its commitment to making the Sea Lions feel like a real, evolving team rather than
just a background prop for the main couple.

The final takeaway? Bring It On: Fight to the Finish isn’t the franchise’s champion, but
it absolutely earns its place in the lineup. It’s a solid mid-tier sequel with enough personality, stunt
work, and heart to keep cheer-movie fans coming back. If you’re ranking the
Bring It On films, you might not put it at number onebut you probably won’t bench it either.

Think of it as the dependable flyer on the squad: maybe not the absolute star of the pyramid, but always
ready to hit the mat, land the routine, and leave you humming the soundtrack for the rest of the night.