The Perfect Score

I think that this film was missing many things in making it good. It was your average teen film with nothing special. Plot was kind of like that of the movie Cheaters. The movie was borderline R rated. The only pluses were the stoned guy the whole film and Scarlett who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. If you must see this film go into it with no thought and you may actually like it. Or you could just go see it for the only two good things mentioned above.

Perhaps it's because when one sees, "MTV Films", in the opening credits, one's expectations then hit rock bottom. It's as if MTV lulled me into a false sense of security, knowing the usual "depth" of their projects. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this little film. It doesn't hurt that I could watch Scarlett Johansson sitting on a couch doing nothing and I'd be enthralled for hours. At any rate, I found the film, though cliched, quite cute. Roy, the obvious comic relief, played his role very effectively, I laughed at him often. The other characters were of lesser involvement, but several stereotypical demographics were adequately represented: the brain, the jock, the average joe, the stoner, the angry rich girl, and the decent good guy. It truly was as if MTV was trying to create "The Breakfast Club", twenty years later, for a new generation. If they succeeded in that is debatable, but at least the made a decent, funny flick.

Imagine, you failed your SAT test and your environment is pushing you so hard that you HAVE to pass for the retest. But, you're just not good enough. Or that the university you would like to go to requires a score that is way-beyond your capabilities.

What would you do? And if you decide to cheat, would you keep it a secret or would you share it with some people? In this movie, the secret leaks out and more people get involved in the plan: to steal the answers.

The diversity of characters in this movie often leads to funny situations or strange conversations.

The movie itself is a little predictable, but it stays nice. I would say, 7 out of 10.

Of course, this isn't great citizen kane style cinema, but this movie is fun to watch, especially if you are in the target demographic like me. This is a typical teen/college movie, minus the grossness of movies like American pie. If you liked "Better luck tomorrow" (also distributed by MTV films), then I think you will like this one. I have to say that "better luck tomorrow" was a much, much, better teen scam/heist movie, but this one rolls along merrily. The script isn't really well done, but it has a few good jokes, like "If they make it into a movie, I wonder who'll play me...I hope your hung like a horse." Scarlet Johansson is great, as always, even with this auto-pilot acting.(like in eight legged feaks, but tha's what I like about Scarlet. She switches from camp/kitch/crap to great movies without any difficulty) The movie is perfect for when you're way to stressed because of your exams at college, like me today.

Despite its relatable subject matter, The Perfect Score delivers a less than perfect portrayal of the well-documented issue of standardized tests. Yes, the film takes a more light-hearted approach on purpose (and kudos to the Matrix reference scene), but it feels like the film is dancing in the shallow end of a very deep body of water. There are a number of hot topics that are quickly glossed over, and the moral of the story becomes glaringly obvious way too early.

All that being said, there are a few chuckles and it's fun to see some A-list celebs when they were younger. You'll just need to look past the cheesy romance, sub-par acting, and unrealistic plot points to get the most out of it. Any secret hopes you have that this is a high school version Ocean's Eleven movie should be dampered.

Verdict: Watch.