Picture This

Most people would just write a movie like this off as a waste of time. As for me, I actually gave this one a shot and watched 'til the very end.

I've gotta say that this is definitely a step up from the last ABC Family movie I watched, and that was three years ago: no lame stereotypes, no horrid acting, and it was very much how you would picture (no pun intended) a father-daughter relationship... the ending couldn't have been any better either... oh, and let's not forget that two cast members of Degrassi were also in this movie... that's good too.

My only real problems came in the form of the insufferable antagonists... other than that, this was very well done.

On to my trademark verdict: I give it a modest 8 out of a possible 10.

Going into watching "Picture This" I really had not that high of expectations. Seeing as how it did not get shown at any theatres and instead came out directly to television, I just figured that it would just be another average TV made movie.

The movie is OK. Basically Ashley Tisdale's character gets an opportunity to go to a party with a guy she always liked. Her dad will not let her go though, and he completely is obsessed with controlling her life. So basically she must sneak out to the house and go without her dad finding out.

One thing I liked about this film is that Ashley Tisdale is the lead. I always liked how she portrays her characters on the programs that she is on. Also she is really hot, definitely the hottest Disney channel star right now. As long as she does not have her bangs too long. BUt she looks great in this film and she really does a great acting job. Her character is someone the viewers can relate to. So I think as the lead character she is awesome.

Some flaws though. I do not know why but watching this film reminded me of "Mean Girls". The three bad girls in this film look very similar to the three bad girls in "Mean Girls". THe cover of this film also looks damn similar. So I really think I have seen the supporting female characters before.

Also Tisdale's father in this film is beyond controlling. HE basically buys her a video phone just so he can watch where she is every hour. But the fact that he does this really makes the movie really exciting towards the end when Ashley must fool him into thinking that she is over at her friends house studying.

There are a few parts that are just odd though. It seems like time is slowed down for the events in the film. THey do a lot of stuff on one night that should take more time. It is a movie though. Also the fact that the main reason the guy that Ashley is going to see only wants to go out with her to have sex with her supposedly in the shower? I mean I can see why he would want to do that, but they never really dismiss the idea that this was his intention. Ashley does not let this bug her though.

This film is OK. Not great, not "fabulous", but I have seen a lot worse films that came out straight to television. But I do see why it did not show at movie theatres. Ashley is great though so it is worth seeing for her alone, just not too many times.

Mandy Gilbert (Ashley Tisdale) lost her mother at 4 and her dad (Kevin Pollak) is clueless. Her close friends are Alexa (Lauren Collins) and Cayenne (Shenae Grimes). Drew Patterson (Robbie Amell) is the hot boy in school. He's from the rich neighborhood of Camelot and she's from Nottingham. He rescues Mandy from drowning and invites her to hang out by the lake. When Drew's mean girlfriend Lisa sees him hugging Mandy, she goes ballistic. Lisa finds Mandy's phone and Mandy's dad catches her in a lie. Drew invites her to his party but her dad grounds her. Cayenne thinks Drew has ulterior motives in the tradition of sacrificing a virgin. The girls lie to her dad, battle Lisa, and goes to the party. Along the way, they have to play in a Battle of the Bands contest and almost get into a major accident.

Firstly I like most of the actors. I think Tisdale has a great comedic touch. On the other hand, this is a run of the mill teen drama. She's playing the bespectacled nerdy girl not in with the cool crowd. It's a lot about how to lie to the parent in the age of cell phones. The comedy isn't that funny. Sometimes it's cute but it's never hilarious. It's not a good high school comedy although there is an attempt at something. On a side note, this is directed by Stephen Herek who made some great movies in the past. I hope he gets better material to work with in the future.

It is Kevin Pollack so it should also be Daddy Cool ... but it is not ... well he remains cool, but his character is anything but. He actually is quite mean and I think many will not understand his thinking ... not to mention his how gullible he seems ... yet almost mean to a degree too.

And yet while that may sound damning, it is the actors who save this movie. If you like them, you will have some fun ... even with the most ridiculous plot ... and all the holes this has. It is not big brother watching but daddy ... though he doesn't really get a grip on it. The jokes are quite mild mostly ... but also really nonsensical ... can you dig it? Well you know what to do ... otherwise it will be a waste of time.

I used to watch this movie many times when I was little since Ashley Tisdale was in it. Without Ashely Tisdale this movie would have been awful. She brings so much light to the film and makes her character relatable. The other actors/actresses were entertaining. The best friends were great but the mean girls were pointless. I honestly thought they weren't needed for the movie. The dad was insane and made me lose my mind. He was so controlling that it went over the top. The love interest definitely needed some work but I really liked him. The performance in the middle of the movie was terrific and made me laugh. There's moments where it's super enjoyable and moments where it's super weird. Overall, it's fun and won't disappoint.