Publication Date: 08-16-2026

Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) review

Dir. Steve Rash

By: Steve Pulaski

Rating: ★★★

 Remembering Hayden Panettiere 

 1989 – 2026

There’s something pleasantly ironic, even humorous, about a movie that kicks off with a dream sequence of cheerleaders chastising their head-cheerleader for her allegedly “fake tits” and promiscuity only for it to be followed by an intrusive studio logo that reads “Universal Studios Family Production.”

Bring It On: All or Nothing feels like the mid-2000s time-capsule I didn’t know I wanted. From its characters speaking in “IM chat,” a soundtrack populated by Rihanna and Weezer, and the use of now fossilized Nokia technology, the third installment of the cheerleader-centric franchise might even be better than the original film from 2000. It strikes a better balance of being a light-hearted look at the cattiness that runs amok in cheer-circles while addressing socioeconomic perceptions about those on the greener side of the grass and those looking to forge their own path by embracing their status. Maybe it’s a surface-level examination of the latter, but the original Bring It On‘s resistance to pursue a more satirical angle for the material rendered a comedy caught in an unforgiving place known as “the middle-ground.”

All or Nothing at least has the gall to avoid regurgitating the formula, as seen in the abysmal Bring It On Again, and creates an unlikely, memorable sequel.

Hayden Panettiere headlines as Britney Allen, the peppy, positive captain of her high school cheerleading team. She’s got it all: an affluent neighborhood, the quarterback boyfriend, and her dream role on a team that follows her commands. Her life is shattered, however, when her father gets a new job in the urban Crenshaw Heights, meaning Britney must transfer to the predominately black high school in town. It’s an uphill battle trying to get back into cheerleading for two reasons. For one, the captain is Camille (Solange Knowles-Smith), who has no tolerance for a blonde Barbie infiltrating her squad, and two, the loyalty of her old cheerleader friends who would bill her as a “cheer whore” if she were to join another team. Camille faces pressure from her closest friends (Francia Almendarez and Giovonnie Samuels, who is a riot), in turn prompting her to add Britney to the team just in time to compete in a televised competition hosted by pop singer Rihanna.

Where Bring It On Again found it effective to copy and paste the formula of its predecessor, All or Nothing posits a dichotomous look at Britney’s old school versus her new one. On her first day of class, she’s mystified by the presence of metal detectors at the school’s entrance. “What is this, LAX?,” she barks at the guards. She later can’t comprehend how and why she is expected to take notes in class when the teacher can email them to her just as effectively. She’s a privileged “powderpuff” with no conception of the outside world, and screenwriter Alyson Fouse has no problem making her the butt of the joke for good reason.

For there being no marquee stars — outside of era-specific inclusions of Panettiere and Knowles (best known as Beyoncé’s sister) — the cast has amiable chemistry with each other. Beyond Samuels, who is well-utilized comic relief, there’s Gus Carr, who serves as a voice of reason for Britney and the obligatory love interest, Marcy Rylan, who clearly enjoys the queen bitch role as the vindictive successor to Britney when she transfers, and Jessica Fife whose brazen vapidness is, too, utilized conservatively enough to be a welcomed diversion as opposed to a one-note joke. A sequel this belated shouldn’t be so tethered to a dynamic cast, but that’s the mindset one inevitably has after enduring many of these direct-to-video sequels.

Even the cheer sequences, which were lacking immensely in Bring It On Again, are lively and different. During her first days at Crenshaw Heights, Britney is introduced to the aggressive, impromptu dance-style of “krumping.” After wowing the cheerleaders with her moves, the squad agrees to incorporate some of them into their routines, initially to the chagrin of Camille. This adds another layer of spontaneity to the cheers, and because of it, the aforementioned competition is dense enough that it justifiably takes up the final 25 minutes. The fact it gives Britney a shot at both redemption and affirmed compassion is an added bonus.

Look, Bring It On: All or Nothing is still several paces from a great film. Some of its dialog is still eye-roll-inducing, and thankfully, the “IM chat” isn’t a lingering inclusion, for its just as ridiculous to say things like “IDTS” and “TTYL” aloud as it was in 2006. While it doesn’t leave me much more optimistic for the subsequent installments, the fact that this franchise has left us with one uniformly solid film warms the cockles of my heart.

My review of Bring It On
My review of Bring It On Again
My review of Bring It On In It to Win It
My review of Bring It On: Fight to the Finish
My review of Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack

Starring: Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles-Smith, Gus Carr, Giovonnie Samuels, Francia Almendarez, Marcy Rylan, and Jessica Fife. Directed by: Steve Rash.