“Stomp the Yard: Homecoming” DVD Review
Oh you darn sequel market, what am I going to do with you? You like to spawn these relentless sequels to films that only did so-so in theaters and eventually make a fair sum on DVD, thus warranting some kind of follow-up even though no one asked for it. Unlike a superhero movie that asks for it, Stomp the Yard didn’t exactly beg to be sequalized, but nevertheless the fine folks at Sony found it necessary to spit another one out, this time in the form of Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming. You can really stop reading this review right now—you and I both know where it’s going to end up.
Synopsis
In the countdown to a national step-off, rivalries at Truth University run red hot. The Theta Nus are counting on new pledge Chance Harris (Collins Pennie) to lead the team to victory. But he’s too caught up in his own problems to focus. At odds with his father, caught up in romantic troubles and targeted by a street gang for an unpaid debt, Chance must decide what is truly important and make the choices that will shape his life. Stomp the Yard: Homecoming unites a powerful cast featuring Terrence J and Pooch Hall with a soundtrack packed with pulse-pounding tracks.
Not to blanket the DTV market with an overgeneralizing statement…but, are any of these ever any good? I think the only one that was moderately entertaining was White Noise 2, but that was only because of Nathan Fillion. Stomp the Yard 2 is really made for those who relentlessly loved the original; I say this not having seen the original, but in no way would someone look at this film and it’s ridiculous DVD jacket and think “Yes. I want to see this. Absolutely.” It doesn’t even have to do with the description on the back—it sounds like your typical “No, I’m going to rebel and do my own thing and win a championship.” No, it’s just the positions they’re making on the cover. The goofy smirk and odd arm position that Collins Pennie is sporting on the cover reminds me of some kind of bird or something.
In any case, the main draw of the film, of course, is the dancing and you can tart it up with all the teen drama and idiocy you want but in the end what separates this film from the rest is the dance moves and how intricately detailed they are and whatnot. Sadly this film half asses it in that respect, as I’m pretty sure these are some of the weakest dance moves I’ve seen from a dance film. I don’t even watch that many, but I’ve seen plenty on TV as my mom channel surfs and lands upon one every few hours, so I know what’s considered “epic” when it comes to dance moves…and they really weren’t any in this film. There were a few nice segments towards the end, but that’s to be expected. Really, just overall it was a disappointment.
As for the story…well, you know. It’s a direct to video. The synopsis tells you all you need to know and the acting, music, dancing…everything was very direct to video feeling. So no big budget drapery here—it all looks and sounds as you’d expect…which is really probably the biggest problem. Overall something you can Skip.
The DVD
Standard DVD case, no inserts and…well, that’s it. Menus are simple and easy to navigate, the transfer is what you’d expect from a newly minted movie and the audio is a DD5.1 mix that provides all the requisite bass for a movie with a soundtrack such as this. It’s really everything you’d expect, which is both satisfying and boring at the same time.
Extras include:
Filmmaker and Cast Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Stomp On The Yard: Choreography
Bit surprised there was a full commentary on this mess, but there you have it. It’s a nice batch of extras if you enjoyed the film, but if you disliked the experience as much as I did, then padding any extra viewing time onto the films hour and a half run time really just results in you disliking it even more. Skip It.
Stomp the Yard: Homecoming arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on September 21st.