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The Cutting Edge - Chasing the Dream is directed by
Stuart Gillard, and stars Matt Lanter, Francia Raisa, Ben
Hollingsworth, Alycia Purrott, and Christy Carlson Romano.
***
Chasing The Dream is the third entry in the Cutting
Edge series - a series of romance/drama films that all revolve
in some way or another around the sport of ice-skating.
In the third installment, a pair of world-class skaters
suffers a major setback when one member of the pair is injured.
With one partner out, the male who is still capable must
recruit a replacement - which he finds in a tough girl who
is the antithesis of his incapacitated partner. ***
This is one of those movies that had this reviewer
right on the thumbs up/thumbs down borderline. There just
isn't much that can be said here, really. There are some
good performances from the cast, but the storyline is ever-so-predictable,
and doesn't really take the series anywhere new. Perhaps
the best thing I can say in favor of the movie is that it's
a step up from the second film in the series. Still, the
first entry remains the supreme Cutting Edge film. ***
The best thing about this third entry in the Cutting
Edge series is its performances. While the actors in question
aren't exactly working with the best, most original material
around, they make the best of things. Matt Lanter plays
the male lead quite well, as does his new partner Francia
Raisa. She does an excellent job playing a character who
couldn't be more different from our hero. The only person
who returns from the earlier installments of the series
is Christy Carlson Romano, in a coach role. And she too
gives a good performance. With the exception of Romano,
I hadn't heard of any of these actors prior to seeing the
movie. But they were certainly good enough to win this reviewer
over with their performances. ***
Where it all comes crashing down, though, is the material
being worked with, and the basic plot. There's absolutely
nothing unique or original about this movie. In a lot of
ways, it feels like a rehash of the original film in the
series. And lets not kid ourselves here…. Is there anyone
who doesn't know how the thing is going to end? It's predictable
and unoriginal. Fun to watch due to the good performances,
but they can't hide the fact that it's a movie we've watched
before in some shape or form. ---
Image And Sound:
I have to say, the quality that went into the audio
and visual attributes of this DVD was better than I was
expecting, especially considering this is a film that was
made for a TV airing. The image is bright and clear, and
all of the dialogue and other sound effects come across
fine. MGM succeeds beautifully in this department. ---
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