She's the Man

This movie was pretty good. A lot of it has to do with the star Amanda Bynes. She has a strong screen presence and comes off as very likable. She plays Viola, a girl who is determined to show up her ex-boyfriend and prove that a girl could beat a guy at soccer. The girls soccer team gets cut and she isn't allowed to try out for the boys team. So, she goes to the rival school where her twin brother goes. The brother is on a trip to London, so she disguise herself as a boy and takes his place. She makes the soccer team but falls for one of the guys on it, her roommate, Duke. So, of course, there is many scenes of mistaken identity and Viola does crazy stuff to keep her secret.

The only part that made me say mmm... was how could no one notice that Viola as Sabastian was several inches shorter than the guys and when her brother shows up he is just as tall if not taller. And no one notices! So, you do have to buy that in order to believe the story. But I say no way.

FINAL VERDICT: Good, I recommend it if you are looking for a comedy.

I saw this movie today (opened yesterday here) and was simply delighted.

I saw a review that said something to the effect that the reviewer thought this would be just another teen movie, but then found it was based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ... and then started trying to justify liking this flick on Shakespearean grounds. I really think this is going way overboard: the only connections I could see with Twelfth Night are (a) the basic conceit of a girl masquerading as a man; (b) the extensive male-female humor arising out of that basic conceit; and (c) some of the names (including Viola & Duke).

Aside from those names, the thematic commonalties (a & b) are really great themes for any script, and this movie's script is no exception. Beyond that, though, this really is a simply delightful and very contemporary/traditional teen flick. And that's a perfectly legit genre even if highbrows have to find an excuse to like it ... like alluding to Shakespeare.

The movie is bright, fast-paced, emotive, stylized, funny ... full of teen hormones and teen humor and male/female humor suitable for all ages. And that's really the best part IMHO: really just about every male stereotype and every female stereotype is depicted in roundly appealing over-the-top fun. Those stereotypes are parodied relentlessly but affectionately, with such a complexity of invention that I'm still a little bewildered ... but really don't feel at all disappointed in that regard, it's not that kind of a movie: things come at you fast and fun and you get a laugh and a groan and then move on to the next split-second happening.

Amanda Bynes really is just delightful as Viola / Sebastian; Channing Tatum makes a wonderful Duke; David Cross does a wonderfully over the top Principal Gold. All of the acting and characterizations were fine and on target. Cinematography was excellent.

Wonderful entertainment from beginning to end ... check it out!

Viola Johnson (Amanda Bynes) enters a prestigious boarding school disguised as her brother, so that he can run off to London to become a musician. Unfortunately, she immediately falls for her male roommate, who already has a crush on a girl who now has a crush on the male version of Viola.

Combining the story of "Just One of the Guys" and Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night may sound like a recipe for disaster but She's the Man is a funny, charming and cheesy movie. The original trailer looked really lame yet the film turned out to be quite enjoyable. The story is clearly nothing new but it still works fine. The fact that the screenplay is written by Karen McCullah Lutz explains everything. She's good for harmless, fun films like She's the Man, Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted. Andy Fickman does a decent job as the director. He never lets the film become too serious or else it would ruin the movie's appeal. He does overload on a few lame jokes though. That was the major problem I had with this film. Some of the jokes just fell flat while others were just incredibly cheesy, even for this film.

The acting was good for this type of movie and most of the actors were enjoyable to watch on screen. Amanda Bynes is full of charm as Viola. It was very hard to actually hate her and she's a much better actress than Hilary Duff. Channing Tatum was not as strong as Amanda. His performance was okay, sometimes his reactions were a little fake. Laura Ramsey plays Olivia and she gives a decent performance. Alex Breckenridge gives a pretty good performance as Monique. Her character was pretty interesting and she had decent chemistry with Amanda. The rest of the supporting actors are good except for David Cross. He plays the school principal and his performance was not funny at all.

If you do give She's the Man a shot then keep in mind that the entire film is highly unrealistic. I was reading some of the posts here and a few people are bashing the film for that. While the movie is pretty entertaining, it's also easily forgettable. It was a fun way to spend 100 minutes but it won't stay in your memory for long. It's also not just a chick flick and a guy could also like the movie. In the end, She's the Man is worth checking out whether that be in the theaters or on video. Rating 7/10

When the Cornwall school cancels the women's soccer team, the player Viola (Amanda Bynes) is absolutely disappointed since the sport is her passion. Then her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) skips class to travel to London to play his songs and Viola disguises herself as if she was Sebastian to join the Illirya soccer team. Viola falls in love for her roommate Duke (Channing Tatum) that has a crush on Olivia Lennox (Laura Ramsey) that feels attracted by the sensitive Sebastian (indeed Viola) that is chased by his girlfriend Monique (Alex Breckenridge). Out of the blue, the real Sebastian anticipates his return from London and he is not aware of the situation and has to play soccer game against Cornwall.

"He's the Man" is a funny and entertaining comedy with a predictable story similar to the 1985 "Just One of the Guys". The cute Amanda Bynes does not look like a boy but her performance is pleasant. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Ela é o Cara" ("She is the Guy")

like each film for teenagers, the fun is the basic purpose. and, in this case, the mission accomplished is the right definition. because Amanda Bynes is fantastic and Channing Tatum did a great job. and , sure, David Cross gives the perfect spice. the references to Shakespeare, the holes of credibility of entire story, the crazy humor, the nice hypothesis, the lovely music, all are pieces of a seductive film, charming scene by scene, easy but perfect for entertainment. so, a teenager movie. one of the most charming.