Stomp the Yard (2007)

26% of critics liked it
(89 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(446,320 ratings)

A young man finds that the moves he learned on the street may help him make a better life for himself in this youth-oriented musical drama. DJ Williams (Columbus Short) is a 19-year-old growing up in Los Angeles; while DJ is at heart a good kid and a gifted street dancer, he runs with a dangerous… More A young man finds that the moves he learned on the street may help him make a better life for himself in this youth-oriented musical drama. DJ Williams (Columbus Short) is a 19-year-old growing up in Los Angeles; while DJ is at heart a good kid and a gifted street dancer, he runs with a dangerous crowd, and one night an underground dance competition turns into a brawl and DJ ends up in jail. DJ's younger brother has already died a violent death, and his mother, hoping to put him back on the straight and narrow, sends DJ off to Truth University, a historically African-American college in Atlanta. At first, DJ feels like a misfit at Truth, but when he gets a chance to show off his dancing skills, he attracts the attention of two campus fraternities. Greek life is a major presence at Truth, and each year the fraternities take part in a "stepping" competition, in which the members show off their synchronized dance moves. DJ joins the ONO house, and is eager to help them take the championship away from their campus rivals, but in time he also comes to understand the brotherhood and community service that's a key part of his fraternity's background. DJ also has more on his mind than dancing and studying when he meets April (Meagan Good), a beautiful coed. Produced under the title Steppin', Stomp the Yard also stars Ne-Yo, Brian J. White, and Jermaine Williams. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Sylvain White
Written By: Robert Adetuyi, Gregory Anderson
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 12, 2007 Wide
On DVD: May 18, 2007
Studio: Screen Gems

Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
The moves can be remarkable, though ritually repetitive -- male chorus lines of adrenalized automata acting out anger, menace, pride, audacity or joy.
Rachel Saltz, New York Times
Stomp the Yard is a strange and at times strangely compelling mix of black fraternity recruitment video and inspirational tale about a hip-hop boy in a stepping world.
Susan Walker, Toronto Star
Perhaps director Sylvain White hoped that this laughably melodramatic film might find its way into the pantheon of urban dance films. But seen against such films as Rize and You Got Served, it's a step in the wrong direction.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The film introduces too many elements, doubles back on itself, repeats and repeats the same information, starts and stops, includes needless tangential riffs, finds artificial means to stretch the running length and is in every way a flabby mess.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
The script, based on an earlier screenplay by a Florida A&M alum, accomplishes little -- it's basically Drumline, with dancing instead of drum corps.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
The cast adds little. Columbus Short, a dancer-turned-actor, can move well, but he mugs too much for the camera when he's supposed to be having fun, and barely holds the screen when he's not.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
It's a little bit of a musical, a little bit of a sports film, a little bit coming-of-age story. And none of it, beyond the dancing, any good.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Well-intentioned film steps up the melodrama.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
The dance sequences are strong, but everything else is weak. Like, I can't pick up this pencil, much less dance, weak.
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review
I would say that I found more of interest in this featurette than I did in the entire film.
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review
... the film as a whole lacks the energy of its dance numbers.
Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies
At a time of year when theaters are filled with flashy, fun, but empty offerings, Stomp The Yard is a surprisingly satisfying alternative.
Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com
It's not a great movie, no, and maybe not even a particularly good one. But it's likable and unassuming, and the dancing is off the hook, or whatever the kids are saying these days.
Kam Williams, EURWeb
A United Negro College Fund PSA for anyone interested in obtaining a Ph.D. in bling and booty calls. A mind is a terrible thing to lose.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Eric A

Sucks critically, poor acting and script but still bearable to watch.
Bethany M

Always been a sucker for dance films and this didn't fail to impress. It was a breath of fresh air to find a dancing film that had a different sort of dance. I'd never heard of stomping before I watched this film so it really made it different from the other dance films… More
Always been a sucker for dance films and this didn't fail to impress. It was a breath of fresh air to find a dancing film that had a different sort of dance. I'd never heard of stomping before I watched this film so it really made it different from the other dance films I'd seen. Good film!
Alexis N

It's better than I thought it would be. It's good. You don't have to be a victim of your circumstances, you just have to find your drive and go for it.
Richard C

I thought it was okay but not good. Grade: C
Manu G

I love watching this movie. Super great movie, very awesome dance moves, totally love Meagan Good!!! After the death of his younger brother, a troubled 19-year-old street dancer from Los Angeles is able to bypass juvenile hall by enrolling in the historically black, Truth… More
I love watching this movie. Super great movie, very awesome dance moves, totally love Meagan Good!!! After the death of his younger brother, a troubled 19-year-old street dancer from Los Angeles is able to bypass juvenile hall by enrolling in the historically black, Truth University in Atlanta, Georgia. But his efforts to get an education and woo the girl he likes are sidelined when he is courted by the top two campus fraternities, both of which want and need his fierce street-style dance moves to win the highly coveted national step show competition.
KJ P

very good! It touches your heart in many ways!
Megan S

As Curtis would say, "I liked this movie better the first time, when it was called Drumline."
Lafe F

A powerful well-made uplifting movie with a competition-forumla plot and some creative stomp-dancing sequences. Entertaining to watch.
Dean M

Awesome stepping movie since Step Up and Bring It On, but mostly exciting on the street styled and innovative dance moves with the fraternities at the university. African-American actor Columbus Short makes a wonderful dance sequences in the… More
Awesome stepping movie since Step Up and Bring It On, but mostly exciting on the street styled and innovative dance moves with the fraternities at the university. African-American actor Columbus Short makes a wonderful dance sequences in the battle and competition. Amazing!
Taylor B

Drumline for black people
Fernando Rafael Q

this movie is good, is even better than i had imagined, it is not your typical hip-hop/dancing movie, it really has some "substance", good script and performances, especially by the newcomer columbus short, amazing choreography and soundtrack
Rachel F

This has a unique storyline and i really liked it. Plus the lead character, Columbus Short, is so cute.
Jeff B

In order for Stomp the Yard to succeed as quality moviemaking, it needed to raise itself up by the bootstraps and give audiences some fresh dance moves. Moviegoers have, after all, seen this sort of story very recently under the titles Stick It, Step Up, and Take the Lead-—inner city… More
In order for Stomp the Yard to succeed as quality moviemaking, it needed to raise itself up by the bootstraps and give audiences some fresh dance moves. Moviegoers have, after all, seen this sort of story very recently under the titles Stick It, Step Up, and Take the Lead-—inner city youth makes good on the dance floor. Worse yet, this reviewer can honestly say that outside of switching a drum kit for step dancing, Stomp the Yard comes dangerously close to plagiarizing the school drum corps drama Drumline. Not only does Stomp the Yard relish an obvious resemblance to movies of its ilk, it even embraces the shortfalls that dogged them, exuding all of the cocksureness of an MTV video. In the PG-13-rated Stomp the Yard, an inner city youth (Short) attends Atlanta’s historic Truth University to escape his troubled past, overcoming adversity by implementing street-style dance moves into a fraternity’s step team. Multiple dance-offs? Check. Romancing the opponent’s girl? Check. Multiple dance-offs? Check. The lead being called a loser who will amount to nothing? Check. Multiple dance-offs? Check. Life-changing street altercation? Check. Did this reviewer mention the dance-offs? Sadly, Stomp the Yard fails to play its one ace card, effectively documenting the unique world of step dancing. Rather than let the action play out in longer takes and allow visage to the choreographed beauty of the animated dance movement, this film utilizes a constant barrage of quick-edits, demonstrating the music video industry’s unfortunate and obvious stranglehold on modern filmmaking. Bottom line: Drumline without the drum kit.
Andreia C

It's not bad, but it's no big deal. I liked the story and all but that kind of dancing really doesn't appeal to me.
Nicolas K

The first 10 mins contain the best dancing (tip for those that do not want to waste 115 mins). Very predictable story, nothing new to offer.
William G

Dance sequences are impressive, but can barely make up for generic story.
Donna D

Cool dance movie.
jason d

not bad if you just scan through the good parts. kind of like watching drum line and the step up movies. only with more stomping...
Mr. C

terrible. A few clever moves, but no quality storyline & only moderately good acting.