¡Otra vez tú!

"You Again" was somewhat of a nice surprise. I had expected it to be a mediocre comedy, but it turned out to be quite nice.

The story told in the movie is very captivating and you easily get yourself immersed into the situation, the characters and the story itself. The story is quite funny as well, you have Marni, who was bullied by Joanna during high school, and now years later, Joanna is about to marry Marni's brother, Will. Apparently Joanna doesn't remember Marni from school, but then things take a drastic change and things escalate...

The people acting in "You Again" were doing a good job, and they had managed to put together a really nice ensemble of people to fill out the roles. Kristen Bell, playing Marni, was doing a really good job in the movie. But of course, actresses like Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis also always do a nice job, and they were great in their roles. Furthermore, there were some other nice names on the list, such as Betty White, Victor Garber, and so on.

Throughout the movie, as the story progressed, there were more and more hilarious scenes, and they worked well. The movie had enough comedy and drama in it to be interesting, not really falling into a teenage comedy genre, which I had expected it to be.

"You Again" is a good choice if you are in for an evening with funny movies, because it is not just a comedy movie, it also has a deeper and nice storyline, not just intending to make you laugh.

I don't like how this movie just made something simple out of a topic so severe like high school bullying. I suffered from this myself because I'm an Asian American and no, I could never forgive what that bully monster did. I also know that many who bullied in high school are NOT sorry at all.

I'm also disappointed at the protagonist's brother for being insensitive. Heck, I'm pretty sure I'd kick my fiancée to the curb if I found out what kind of monster she was.

The lone thing I liked about this movie was the performance by Hall & Oates at the end.

Skip this turkey.

If nothing else, you have to like this for the high-powered cast that was put together. With well known stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Victor Garber and even Betty White you know there will be quality performances. The lead actress is the lesser known Kristen Bell (recently seen in Couples Retreat) and there are a number of cameos from the likes of Patrick Duffy and one who pops up for only a moment at the end who I guess I won't name since the cameo is uncredited and should probably come as a surprise. With those names, this couldn't be a disaster, and it wasn't.

The story has its moments. At times, it's actually very funny. Bell plays a former high school geek whose brother is suddenly getting married to the girl who made her teenage years a complete misery and whose wedding she decides she wants to break up. Meanwhile her mom (Curtis) discovers that the bride's aunt (Weaver) was someone she had a falling out with in high school. The unnamed cameo at the end is a continuation on the theme, with the mystery cameo being someone Betty White's character had a falling out with in high school, so these families have a 3 generation long feud to overcome to make this marriage work. To me, I thought most of the laughs occurred in two settings - when Curtis visits Weaver at her hotel and then at the rehearsal dinner. There are a lot of laughs in those scenes.

Unfortunately, although there are some good laughs in this, there aren't enough laughs in this. In fact, sometimes the movie gets downright heavy and far too serious; at times the characters seem to be truly hurtful to each other in a less than fun way, and the movie seems to forget that it's a comedy. It does have its moments. It just needed to have more.

Marni (Kristen Bell) is a successful PR representative, who moved out to Los Angeles as a way to start fresh and forget her past. "You Again" opens with Marni telling a group of young PR interns the tale of her life as a nerd in high school. Like many of us, Marni didn't have a great time in high school because she was picked on and bullied especially by the lead cheerleader, Joanna (Odette Yustman). After Marni is done with her big speech at the PR firm, she boards a plane to head home to attend her brother Will's (James Wolk) wedding. Once home, Marni finds out that Will is marrying Joanna; the woman who made her life in high school a living hell. This is when Marni sets out to prove that Joanna is not this innocent good girl that she is pretending to be. To top all this off, Joanna's Aunt Romona (Sigourney Weaver) arrives that same evening only to find out that Marni's mother Gail (Jamie Lee Curtis) has a history with her as well. A funny, silly but ultimately clever film ensues...

Many reviewers are labeling "You Again" as 2010's "Bride Wars" and while I see a few similarities between the two films, "You Again" is a far superior film. I was actually perplexed by the amount of negative press this film received. While it is a far cry from an Oscar worthy, it was still a feel good film with a really funny story and interesting premise. "You Again" is a movie about a nerdy high school chick who is bullied by the head cheerleader only to find out years later that her brother is engaged to the woman who ruined four years of her life. A plot like that is ripe for comedy. Furthermore, the movie addresses the theme of confronting and overcoming high school rivalries; a topic I feel very few movies address.

One may argue that the film is too silly for it's own good. I would have to say that it's true especially towards the end but in all honesty its a Hollywood comedy. I would rather it be a bit too silly than a film loaded with sex gags as a filler. There are some really funny scenes in this movie too. I loved the whole car ride scene when Joanna plays "We are the Champions" and of course, the dance studio scene. I think sometimes watching actors act like teenagers are funny especially if you can understand where they are coming from. The reaction that Kristen Bell's character has when she sees Joanna again is priceless. Try to put yourself in these shoes...you are tortured in high school and get out hoping to never see that person again but find out they are marrying a family member. That's like a nightmare of epic portions. The thing I thought was even more humorous about the film was the fact they showed it happens to all generations, not just the younger. I think Jamie Lee Curtis's reaction to Weaver's entrance was equally priceless.

Kristen Bell is the highlight of the film. I always enjoyed her in these types of roles. I find her to be cute and lovable. She plays a good nerd in the beginning and I found it believable because it fits her as a person. Bell doesn't seem to have that mass appeal that say Reese Witherspoon has but I do enjoy her films and hope she continues to do films. I would say her character Marni is a bit similar to her character in "When in Rome," however here the character has more depth. It's a better written character with more of a background story.

As for the other actors, I felt Odette Yustman was just great and like Bell really fit her character. You can tell that she wasn't this innocent girl she pretended to be. She plays one hell of a mean girl that's for sure. I think she had great chemistry with Bell as enemies. As for Curtis, she's good in comedies and I loved her in this film. While she plays the mom role here watching her competing with Sigourney Weaver is a blast. I think everyone involved did a good job with their roles and did what the script requested of them. I should mention Bette White, who absolutely steals the scenes and has a hilarious scene at the films conclusion.

I really don't know what all the reviewers were complaining about with "You Again." I thought the premise was fairly unique and the overall film was fun and full of fluff. The movie was really funny at times even though it used the typical clichés that comedies nowadays tend to use. This is a movie where you just sit back and enjoy a few good laughs. I know as a male, I didn't mind watching this film and felt that it wasn't like the typical chick flick. The ending was rather typical and overly clichéd but than again that's not surprising coming out of Hollywood.

All in all,"You Again" is an enjoyable comedy that I wouldn't mind having to watch again. Everyone involved did a great job especially Bell who steals the show and wins the audience over within the first 10 minutes of the film. Just remember people, this is a silly comedy and not a comedic masterpiece. No one should be expecting an Oscar worthy film and if you can get past that you should be able to enjoy to this. I personally think a lot of people have enjoyed this film despite what the critics say because can relate to one of the characters in one way or another. It's an cute and enjoyable flick and I recommend those looking for a wholesome laugh to check it out.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "You Again" is a 7 out of 10.

FIrstly on a positive note it is good to see the lovely ladies. Sigourney has a role that's actually suited to her - she hasn't really done this kind of high powered woman since "Working Girl". Jamie is a bit frightful looking but she always was a bit old looking for her age. Betty White has a small role. The leads are likable and attractive. Kristen Bell is good as the central tormented girl - she's quite versatile. Odette Yustman is quite foxy as the mean girl. She is a both attractive and good actress better than her lookalike Megan Fox. James Wolk is good as the clueless object of her affections. Victor Garber is a bit out of place. The main problem is the dialog isn't well written. The words aren't witty or clever and quite cringe inducing. The painful scenes are dragged out and there is more unpleasantness than comedy. In fact the funny moments are few and far between for a comedy. Even a food cast can't keep it from being boring from about half way on. Watch it if you like any of the leads but prepared to be disappointed.