Encore toi !

Sure You Again isn't Oscar-material, but I don't think it was intended to be. But if you watch it keeping in mind that is a light-hearted, fun summer comedy for the family, you will appreciate it, mainly because of the strong and hilarious female cast. Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kristen Bell and Odette Yustman all shine on-screen in their own ways, yet complement each other so well. The chemistry of the cast contributes to the film's charm. I was especially impressed with Kristen Bell because this is the first comedy/chick-flick I've personally seen her in, and she was really cute and funny! She had a lot of charm, great comedic timing, and I kept thinking in my head how gorgeous she is all throughout the movie. She's a really versatile actress. The veterans, Sigourney, Jamie Lee, and Betty White were all hilarious as well. If you're looking for a fun, positive family film with lots of laughs, you've found your movie.

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.

Being a guy, I always wonder, with these slapstick comedies that revolve around women with a wedding as a backdrop, do grown women over the age of 25 really become THIS immature? In "Bride Wars", you see two very attractive women pulling childish pranks on one another in preparation for their respective weddings, and somehow some women went to see that movie in droves. "You Again" received a spanking from major critics, most of whom were male, but actually turned in a profit at the box office.

I'm still really curious to know what women think when they see two women in their 20's pulling mean, callow tricks on each other, then seeing two other women in their 50's, who are attractive for their age I might add, trying to one-up each other while taking dance lessons in preparation for a wedding. Can real life women actually relate to these women on screen? Do they think their antics are funny?

Speaking as a man (whether or not that's important is up to you, the reader), I found these shenanigans ranging from cat fights to forced slapstick comedy neither amusing nor believable. If I saw my Mom acting the way either Jamie Lee Curtis or Sigourney Weaver do on screen, I would get angry, and quick.

But I digress. This movie starts out on a good note showing Marni Olsen (Kristen Bell) in high school with glasses, braces, and a bad case of acne. Although the nerd stereotype is a bit overdone here, somehow Bell succeeds in being unglamorous to the point where we, the audience, feel for her.

Her main tormentor is popular cheerleader J.J. (Odette Yustman), who is smoking hot, but effectively easy to dislike. However, the first mean prank you see pulled on Marni is her being crowd-surfed out of school by a group of jocks, including that mean cheerleader. Marni seems to be angry at J.J. and only J.J., somehow forgetting that she wasn't the only one in the crowd.

Fast forward less than a decade later, and Marni has lost the braces and glasses, is a successful P.R. executive, and looks as hot as she did in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008). Her post-high school transformation is one many people would envy, but none of that matters when she finds out that her older brother is about to marry J.J., who is now known as Joanne.

Marni's mother Gail (Jamie Lee Curtis) tries to convince Marni to put the past behind her. That is, of course, until it's revealed that Joanne's aunt is Ramona (Sigourney Weaver), a woman who used to be "best friends" with Gail in high school. However, you know that unresolved animosity brews underneath the facade of these two women when a flashback reveals Ramona pushing Gail into a pool. Why she did this, the movie never really explains.

The rest of the movie remains laugh-less as Kristen Bell seems to trip over herself and bang her head into several different people and objects, almost as if she's Curly from The Three Stooges. One scene shows her falling off a running path into a nest of red ants. Her love interest tries to help her, but their heads bump into one another. Nuk nuk nuk!

Of course, when Marni and Joanne trade blows, there is the inevitable catfight with dialogue so vapid and uninspired. When Joanne throws a dish at Marni, she replies, "Ooh, kitty likes to scratch!" I don't know what other movie I've heard that phrase in, but it's probably because it has been in at least six other films.

With such hackneyed verbal taunts comes a fight that fails to intrigue. Dishes get broken, Marni smashes a vase Joanne got as a gift that she claims is "so expensive" (yet looks like one you could get for $2 at Goodwill), and Joanne dumps some sort of soup over Marni's head. Are you laughing yet? You wonder what is wrong with these people, and why such hot women have maturity levels that make Zach Galifianakis look like Don Draper. Even worse, once the pratfalls come to a close, the movie tries to sugarcoat itself with messages of peace, love and reconciliation, and the rest of the movie is boring.

I thought Betty White would be the breath of fresh air in this movie. After all, she was hilarious as a "Saturday Night Live" host last year. Unfortunately, she has no really funny lines, and a really dumb gag involving false teeth. Kristen Chenowith is also equally wasted as a flamboyant Southern belle wedding planner who seems to be in the wrong movie. There are also a handful of subplots that go nowhere, and scenes completely irrelevant to the story that go on forever. The cheerleader's dance to Kris Kross's "Jump" is energetic, but belongs in another "Bring It On" sequel.

"You Again" is a great looking movie with likable actors in it. Unfortunately, the lead actresses are forced to act childishly, then mend their ways through fluffy speeches about family values, aided by background music borrowed from past episodes of "Full House". It could have been a memorable film, but somehow chose not to be and went the "My Best Friend's Wedding" route.

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.

It's light and it's fun, with a bit of drama. Not sure what else people expect from a romantic comedy.