Perhaps the worst-kept secret in Hollywood at this point is the incredible talent that is Los Angeles native Francia Raisa, currently of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager. She reminds me of an unbeaten racehorse who keeps winning, even as it moves up in class. The more they give her to work with, and the brighter they shine the light upon her, the better she performs. She is developing so fast as an actress that a future Oscar is likely, once she gets a script worthy of that level of performance. Sadly, this film, like its predecessor (CE3), doesn't rise to that level, but she manages to make a good film out of mediocre film with yet another flawless performance. Raisa is back as Alex Delgado, with a new "pinwheel" cast designed to highlight her talents, much as in CE2, with Christy Romano. Her supporting cast is much stronger, with numerous actors likely to become household names as well, most notably Brendan Fehr, who has been bouncing around television, most notably the CSI franchise, for a while. His talents allowed Raisa to shine much more than Matt Lanter in CE3. The plot is standard by now: love-hate relationship between longshot pairs figure skaters complicates existing obstacles to glory. It worked so well in 1992 that ABC Family has taken to making three sequels, each with a slightly different angle. As I said in my review of the first film, surprise is not the goal here, but romance, although this film is a bit lacking in that department. By now, fans of this franchise have embraced its predictability, instead focusing on the cast, the acting, the plagiarism from the original(s), and how the story will once again be retold. This film could have done well even as a standalone, big-budget, feature film. Raisa is going to be out of challenges soon enough, and should wait patiently for the "role of a lifetime," the one that will let her show the less perceptive folks in the world know she's one of the best (and hottest) actresses of this generation. She is everything Jennifer Lopez wishes she were, but never became, and then some.
7 Reviews
Truly the worst movie of the franchise!
robinwhiteart-415-75608531 August 2023
This was truly the worst movie of the entire franchise.
The first movie had charm and wit and was entertaining on many levels. It was also well acted and heart felt.
The second and third was were mostly just physically there and not of hardly any worth at all. But if one really liked the first movie of the franchise when it came out and after viewing it many times since then, there was a certain impetus to view the remaining movies in the franchise.
Unfortunately it was a downhill slope with number two and number three getting worse and worse.
I am not sure that I can even finish watching number four, it is simply terrible!
Watch it at your own risk, but if you liked the first one and continued to like it many years later as many of us do, the following ones are just barely worth watching and the last is definitely NOT worth anything unless you are a completist and and need to watch all of the franchise. But be warned.
The first movie had charm and wit and was entertaining on many levels. It was also well acted and heart felt.
The second and third was were mostly just physically there and not of hardly any worth at all. But if one really liked the first movie of the franchise when it came out and after viewing it many times since then, there was a certain impetus to view the remaining movies in the franchise.
Unfortunately it was a downhill slope with number two and number three getting worse and worse.
I am not sure that I can even finish watching number four, it is simply terrible!
Watch it at your own risk, but if you liked the first one and continued to like it many years later as many of us do, the following ones are just barely worth watching and the last is definitely NOT worth anything unless you are a completist and and need to watch all of the franchise. But be warned.
Brendan Fehr is charismatic and sexy!!
karenthomas6121 March 2010
Brendan Fehr did a great job of playing the "bad boy", who secretly has a good heart and real character. He was charismatic and interesting in every scene. I thought that the two leads skated well together and that added to their chemistry.
His scene with small girls in the skating class was adorable. Brendan milked a laugh out of very weak scene with the banana and the blender. He was sexy and intense in the one love scene.
Lastly, he looked great in the sport clothes for practice. Kudos to the wardrobe department. I wish that could have come up with something better for his competition outfits.
Yes, the producers are telling the same story as the first 3 movies, so the audience knows exactly what to expect by the final skate/scene.
His scene with small girls in the skating class was adorable. Brendan milked a laugh out of very weak scene with the banana and the blender. He was sexy and intense in the one love scene.
Lastly, he looked great in the sport clothes for practice. Kudos to the wardrobe department. I wish that could have come up with something better for his competition outfits.
Yes, the producers are telling the same story as the first 3 movies, so the audience knows exactly what to expect by the final skate/scene.
Francia Raisa, a class act
srknthk16 March 2011
I see that this movie has not been rated as much it has to be. It definitely deserves more than 5 odd stars. The main reason that I am saying this is the kind of chemistry the two lead roles enjoy in this movie seems to be really good. And moreover I think Francia Raisa has done a beautiful piece of acting in this. I felt she was good in getting her emotions through. She is am sure going to go greater heights in her career. Its just a matter of time. She has got the looks, talent and also the right acting skills. No doubt she is going to become one of the greatest assets of any filmmaker. I personally enjoyed a lot of scenes in this movie. The one where Brendan Fehr(male lead role) teaches the kids along with Raisa. The training scenes have also been done well.
Loved every minute of it.
Chimes336 May 2016
I'll gladly give the full rack of stars for this perfect little movie with its arena of drama, humor, romance and skating. The two main characters possessed a convincing chemistry that made me hope for a Cutting Edge 5 just so I could see them together again, for better or worse.
Red-hot chemistry aside, Francia Raisa and Brenden Fehr both turned out excellent performances. Their acting seemed as though they weren't acting --- which is to say, they played their parts convincingly and beautifully in every way.
Both of these actors, no doubt, have promising futures in the industry; their talents qualify them for roles above and beyond the ordinary. They should - and CAN - aim high.
Red-hot chemistry aside, Francia Raisa and Brenden Fehr both turned out excellent performances. Their acting seemed as though they weren't acting --- which is to say, they played their parts convincingly and beautifully in every way.
Both of these actors, no doubt, have promising futures in the industry; their talents qualify them for roles above and beyond the ordinary. They should - and CAN - aim high.
Loved it!
cchris-577477 October 2021
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