Cale Bryant delves deeper into his passion, debuting in the world of Motocross. He decides to choose his own future, independently, to become a champion with the support of his parents and girlfriend. After hard training, Cale enrolls in the National Championship for amateur motocross, convinced he can win. In the last race, Cale leads until the last lap when his bike breaks down. Cale beats his arch rival Derek Black by pushing his bike across the finish line but is disqualified for doing so. Derek celebrates until it is revealed he was disqualified for causing a wreck, and Cale will receive the pro contract for next season.
Corbin Bleu as Cale Bryant
Madison Pettis as Bailey Bryant
Sandra Echeverría as Alex Lopez
Jesse Moss as Justin Maynard
Matt Bellefleur as Derek Black
David Reivers as Dell Bryant
Penelope Ann Miller as Jeannette Bryant
Martin Rattigan as Coby
Kelly Small as Sam
Free Style garnered negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 33%, based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 4/10. Mike Hale of The New York Times noted that the film initially sets itself up as being "jumpy, noisy, cheerful, a sort of "High School X-Games Musical." But said that despite the "shamelessly pandering finish", it comes across as a "surprisingly old-fashioned tale of small-town striving" with some "perfunctorily filmed" racing scenes. S. Jhoanna Robledo of Common Sense Media said that despite Bleu's efforts with the movie's "heavier themes" and having "poignant" scenes with Pettis, she felt the plot was "better suited for an after-school special than a big-screen treatment." Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News wrote that: "Though the film deserves credit for its depiction of economic hardship, almost everything else is handled clumsily. And why would a movie about motocross spend so little time on the track? Bleu remains one to watch, but only real fans will want to watch this." Roger Ebert wrote that: "There are some charming actors in this movie, all dressed up but with no place to go. "Free Style" is remorselessly formulaic, with every character and plot point playing its assigned role." Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club gave the movie a "D" grade, criticizing Dear's filmmaking style, saying "his signature bland semi-competence is all over Free Style, which desperately needs some flash of style and forward momentum." Entertainment Weekly writer Adam Markovitz gave the film a "D+" grade, criticizing Bleu's performance for being "bland and painfully earnest" and felt the formulaic plot "unfolds just the way you think it will…until the climax turns out to be even cheesier than you feared."
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