She's the Man

I just took my 11 year old daughter and 8 year old son to this movie and I can't remember a movie where I laughed SO hard -- literal out loud, deep bursts of laughter because this movie is hilarious. Granted the story line is predictable but the ride is so extremely enjoyable it doesn't matter that you know how it's going to end. The actors' comedic senses of timing were impeccable. The actors were perfectly cast. My children mentioned that Amanda Bynes seems to be the last of the young women actresses who aren't ruining their lives. She is so refreshing. My children said this is now their favorite movie of 2006. Our money was well spent on this movie.

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

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.

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.

Now I would just like to say that I love this movie for what it is. Namely, a smart and hilarious teen flick that is at its best when its staying with "the funny", and completely sappy and or cheesy when it attempts anything else. "She's the Man" had solid comedic acting from Amanda. She has really grown as a comedian, and I look forward to seeing her in future roles. The film also had enough pretty people to make the setting nothing like any normal person's high school. I don't know else I can say other than this movie made me laugh way too loud, even for a movie theater, and I had to stifle my chocking laughter numerous times with my coat. i highly recommend this movie to anyone in need of a few laughs and some mindless dialog