Jawbreaker

"Jawbreaker" has all the predictable, clichéd elements of past teen comedies, but I can't deny the fact that I enjoyed it. I think part of its appeal is that it's a darker comedy, like "Heathers"--though this movie certainly isn't in the same league. Everybody in the cast gives fine performances. Rose McGowan's is a little over-the-top, but I think it fit the tone of the movie. The running time is about 85 minutes, so it doesn't go on long. There are plenty of funny moments that keep it entertaining. You can argue that the Karen Carpenter joke was too cruel, but that joke alone didn't ruin the film for me. The ending is certainly a cop-out. There could've been a MUCH better pay-off! But despite the fact that "Jawbreaker" is undoubtedly a flawed film, it's energetic and fun. There are much worse teen movies out there.

Liz is a nice girl and the most popular in her school. Her three friends accidentally kills her playing a birthday prank when she chokes on a jawbreaker. Mean girl Courtney (Rose McGowan) takes over the leadership. Marcie (Julie Benz) is willing to follow, but Julie (Rebecca Gayheart) is troubled with the death. When geeky Fern (Judy Greer) finds out by chance, she's remade into a popular girl to keep her in line.

This has several problems. The most obvious are the girls in their mid 20's, and the Heathers comparison. The girls are all gorgeous. Rose McGowan has a great mean girl persona. But the girls are so visibly too old for high school. It is extremely distracting. And the Heathers comparison doesn't help. The writing and the dialog can't stand up to the comparison. It doesn't have the snappy dialog or the memorable lines. It isn't as funny, and drifts into boring.

This movie excels in one thing, and that is the music. It's fun and candy coated which fits the story perfectly. Sure the supermodel walk down the hall is great, but that's a pittance. There's not enough here to recommend this movie.

When you watch "Jawbreaker," you can't help but sense echoes of "Heathers," "Clueless" and "The Craft." So it is a bit of a derivative teen bopper flick. But it's not a total rip-off and does stand on its own two feet.

However, it's a fun movie. And it has a great soundtrack, which I have. I love the use of the song "Rock Me Like a Hurricane" in the Marilyn Manson cameo. Pam Grier also had an interesting bit role, as a tough-as-nails private investigator. "Jawbreaker" has its flaws, but it's fast-paced, energetic and sometimes pretty funny.

The only big letdown was the ending. Couldn't they come up with something more torcherous to do to Courtney? Evidently, the writer Darren Stein was too anxious to complete the script and pasted on this snappy, thoughtless ending.

Contrary to the reviews I've read on this film, I found this film to be of an excellent nature. Rose McGowan is simply irresistable as the evil Courtney Shayne. Courtney is the girl you love to hate, and Rose McGowan is about to take off into the world of superstardom. As for Darren Stein, he has created a film to remember. Unlike any other movie (I see no resemblance between "Heathers" and "Jawbreaker"), Jawbreaker consists of both witty dialogue and excellent imagery. Marilyn Manson's lineless role, is captivating in a sense that the irony of the scene and the laughter one will not be able to stop are worth witnessing.

Jawbreaker;; There's always that group at rule the school. At Reagan High, it's the foursome, Courtney, Liz, Marcie and Julie. The plot is set in motion on the morning of Liz's birthday, when Courtney, Marcie and Julie break into her house, shove a jawbreaker in her mouth and lock her in the trunk. But their harmless prank goes horribly wrong when they discover Liz has choked on the jawbreaker. The rest of the running time involves the girls trying to cover up the murder and bribing a nerd to keep her mouth shut.

I am a fan of teen movies and black comedies. Assuming Jawbreaker falls into both of those genre's I was expecting to adore the film. The problem with 'Jawbreaker' lies in the fact that the conflict is set into motion within the first 5 minutes, leaving the rest of the film running of low gas. But it offers enough one-liners, laughs and style to make up for the flaws.

Performances are good around, and a keen sense of the bitchy high school girl stereotype is cleverly constructed here. After all, everybody has a Courtney in their life. She's the girl who loves to be feared, and MCGowen does a great job pulling her persona off.

3 from 4.