Spirit fingers. Everyone knows them. If you grew up in the 2000s, you probably spent a significant amount of time trying to perfect a basket toss or, more likely, just quoting the acidic one-liners from Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union. It’s wild to think that a movie about competitive cheerleading sparked a franchise spanning over two decades. But if you’re trying to watch the bring it on movies in order, you might realize it’s not just a straight line. It’s a messy, glitter-covered legacy that shifted from a theatrical masterpiece to a direct-to-video empire, and finally, a weird slasher flick.
Honestly, the original Bring It On (2000) shouldn't have worked as well as it did. It was a low-budget teen movie. Yet, it tackled cultural appropriation and socioeconomic privilege before those were mainstream buzzwords. When the sequels started rolling out, they ditched the original cast but kept the "cheer-ocracy" alive. You’ve got to understand that this isn’t a Marvel Cinematic Universe situation. There are no recurring characters—except for the occasional cameo or the concept of the "Spirit Stick." It’s more of an anthology of high-stakes cheering, backstabbing, and surprisingly complex choreography.
The Original Spark: Bring It On (2000)
This is the blueprint. Directed by Peyton Reed—who later went on to do Ant-Man, which is a weird career trajectory—the first film is the only one that really matters to the critics. It’s the story of the Toros and the East Compton Clovers. Most people forget that the movie is actually quite cynical. It’s about a white girl, Torrance Shipman, realizing her entire team’s legacy is built on theft.
The Clovers, led by Isis (Gabrielle Union), are the "villains" who are actually the victims. It flipped the script. The choreography was handled by Anne Fletcher, who ensured that the stunts looked painful because they were. You can’t replicate that energy in the later films. If you're starting your marathon, this is the high point. Everything else is a fun, albeit campy, descent into 2000s fashion and "cheer-speak."
The Pivot to Direct-to-Video: Bring It On Again (2004)
Four years later, the studio realized they had a brand. They didn’t have the budget for Dunst or Union, so they went the collegiate route. Bring It On Again is basically a middle finger to the establishment. It follows a group of misfits who start their own squad because the varsity team is too elitist.
Is it good? Sorta.
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It lacks the bite of the first one, but it established the formula for the next decade: a "New Girl" comes in, gets bullied by a "Queen Bee," and eventually wins via a mashup dance routine. It’s notable for being the only sequel that focuses on college cheerleading instead of high school.
The Mid-2000s Boom: All or Nothing and In It to Win It
This is where the bring it on movies in order get interesting because the star power actually went up for a second. Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) is the one everyone remembers because of Hayden Panettiere and Solange Knowles. Oh, and Rihanna plays herself.
The plot is basically Mean Girls meets Step Up. Panettiere’s character moves from a wealthy school to a working-class one, forcing her to prove she isn't just a "Barbie." It’s heavy on the "crump-cheer" style that was huge in 2006.
Then came Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007). This one went full West Side Story. Two squads, the Sharks and the Jets (yes, really), battle it out at a cheer camp at Universal Orlando. It’s bright, it’s loud, and it’s very, very orange. Ashley Benson stars here long before her Pretty Little Liars fame. The movie leans into the "Cheer-off" trope so hard it almost breaks.
Global Ambitions: Fight to the Finish and Worldwide #Cheersmack
By 2009, the franchise was looking for a fresh angle. Bring It On: Fight to the Finish brought in Christina Milian. It’s a "fish out of water" story where a girl from East L.A. moves to Malibu. It’s colorful but feels a bit like a retread of All or Nothing.
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Then things went quiet. For eight years.
When the franchise returned in 2017 with Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack, the world had changed. It attempted to integrate social media and "virtual" cheering. A group called "The Truth" hacks a national broadcast, leading to a global competition. It’s a bit cringe-worthy. The dialogue feels like it was written by someone who just learned what a hashtag is. However, for completionists, it’s a necessary watch to see how the series tried to adapt to the TikTok era before TikTok even peaked.
The Sudden Left Turn: Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022)
Nobody saw this coming. Seriously.
The seventh installment isn't a teen comedy. It’s a slasher movie. Bring It On: Cheer or Die aired on Syfy and follows a squad practicing in an abandoned school during Halloween weekend. Then, they start getting murdered one by one.
It’s bizarre. It’s campy. It’s definitely not for the kids who liked the first six movies. But in a weird way, it saved the franchise from irrelevance by doing something genuinely insane. It acknowledges that the "spirit" of the movies can be twisted into something dark.
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The Chronological Order vs. Release Order
Since these are anthology films, the order you watch them in doesn't technically matter for the plot. There are no cliffhangers. However, watching them in release order is a fascinating time capsule of fashion, slang, and music.
- Bring It On (2000) – The Theatrical Gold Standard.
- Bring It On Again (2004) – The College Underdog Story.
- Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) – The Solange/Rihanna Cameo Era.
- Bring It On: In It to Win It (2007) – The Universal Studios Marketing Feature.
- Bring It On: Fight to the Finish (2009) – The Christina Milian Malibu Adventure.
- Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack (2017) – The "Internet Culture" Attempt.
- Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022) – The Slasher Pivot.
Why We Still Care About a Cheerleading Franchise
You’d think after seven movies, the well would be dry. But the Bring It On series persists because it represents a specific kind of American aspirational culture. It’s about the "strive." Whether it’s Torrance trying to redeem her team or the kids in Cheer or Die literally fighting for their lives, the stakes always feel life-or-death.
Real experts in film history often point to the first film as a turning point for the teen genre. It didn't treat its characters like idiots. It understood that for a seventeen-year-old, a cheer competition is the world. The sequels lost some of that groundedness, trading it for dance battles and pop-star cameos, but the "never back down" energy stayed consistent.
The Misconception of the "Spirit Stick"
A common mistake fans make is thinking the Spirit Stick is some ancient cheerleading lore. It’s not. It was largely popularized by the first movie. In real-life UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) camps, there is a Spirit Stick, but the "curse" associated with it in the movies is pure Hollywood fiction. People still freak out if a Spirit Stick touches the ground at a high school pep rally, though. That's the power of these movies.
Actionable Insights for Your Marathon
If you're planning to dive into the bring it on movies in order, don't go in expecting cinematic excellence after the first one. Expect a party.
- Host a 2000s Night: The first four movies are the sweet spot for nostalgia. Wear velour tracksuits.
- Watch the Stunts: Even in the lower-budget sequels, the athletes are often real cheerleaders. The "All or Nothing" final routine is actually impressive from a technical standpoint.
- Skip the Slasher (Unless You Love B-Movies): If you want the "classic" feel, stop at movie six. If you want to see a mascot with a chainsaw, watch movie seven.
- Look for Cameos: Keep an eye out for early-career appearances from stars like Janelle Parrish, Francia Raisa, and even some Glee cast members.
The legacy of Bring It On isn't just about the movies themselves. It’s about the Broadway musical (which was actually nominated for Tonys) and the way it changed how we view cheerleading as a sport rather than just a sideline activity. It gave a generation of girls—and boys—a reason to take the mat seriously.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, start with the 2000 original to understand the "rules" of this universe. Then, move through the sequels as a study in how pop culture evolved from the early 2000s to the present day. You'll see the music shift from hip-hop and pop-punk to EDM and TikTok-ready beats. It's a bumpy ride, but it's one that definitely has spirit.