Duff: Le faire-valoir

Without the chemistry btw its two leads, this movie would not have worked. Plus, the supporting cast of adults helped. This movie was better than it had any right to be.

Whitman has always been a talented actress. I look forward to her eventually getting some truly meaty movie roles.

I enjoy watching teen movies to see what the young generation is up to. This movie gives the modern sensibility on final year high school students wading through the confusing labyrinth of romance and dating mingled with the vicissitudes of friendship. All with the absence of any help from adults, who generally are causing more stress than they are helping out. Feel good entertainment even if there is a little too much voice-over needed to explain what Bianca is going through.

Take a look around and survey your group of friends, are they all good looking? Then you might be the designated ugly fat friend, or the DUFF.

Bianca's life becomes undone when someone reveals to her that she is the DUFF to her prettier and more popular high school friends. Frustrated, she retaliates by instigating the status quo and social hierarchy at her school.

This comedy finds its laughs as Bianca, played by Mae Whitman, desperately tries to reinvent herself and overcome DUFF status. A chronic DUFF, she can't do it alone, and makes a deal with her neighbor Wesley (Robbie Amell) to undo the damage.

A fan of Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell is the clear star of this film. Playing an endearing jock without being a cliché is quite a feat and his performance is scene stealing without being a parody.

From that plot alone there is not much to the story within the high school film The Duff. The film injects an archetype antagonist, played by Bella Thorne, the most classic mean girl ever invented. This character's existence is solely responsible for the plot feasibly being stretched to feature film length – otherwise the DUFF would be relegated to a solitary episode plot line on a WB television series.

Though briefly marketed as the Mean Girls of the 2010's, it really is in an inferior class in comparison to the phenom that was (and is) Mean Girls. The writing, plot and direction are all ho-hum: funny enough for a one time watch with your girlfriends with popcorn, but that's about it.

Please check out our website for FULL reviews of all the recent releases.

I never herd the term Duff before and I don't know if it exist in real culture, but it made for a humorous movie.

Bianca Piper is The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Though it sounds very cruel when spelled out, abbreviated it just means your not as cool or as hot as the friends you hang around, and if your a teenage girl who was made aware of this by your idiot jock next store neighbor without previous knowledge that you were different from your herd, that could put you on a downward spiral.

This movie is just more proof that teenagers don't change (technology does and social media plays a very large part in this movie), which is why the movie seems formulated. I would not spoil anything if I told you how it ends so long as you have seen a teen comedy before.

I find the topic of the Duff fascinating. The character itself has been seen in every teen movie ever. It's always the main protagonist, the semi-cooler kid that wants the protagonist to party and the third wheel, that now has a name. For the first time in teen comedy history(I think) that third wheel got it's own flick and it turns out the Duff is funnier than the one liners we had it say over the course of time.

Mae Whitman played the character with amusing results.

I totally recommended seeing this film. highly enjoyable

It's a fresh idea ,, new definitions and it's kinda purposeful which makes it a bit exciting .. not the type of comedy where you laugh your A$$ off ,, but it has more than a bunch of funny bits which made it fine in that area. Ken Jeong appearance was one of the few of scenes that intrigued me to keep on watching the movie, Hilarious man.. to be fair ,, this project would look so much better as a TV movie or probably as a series on CBS, and it could hit huge success, but the idea of series based on these type of stories is not really new on TV (like "Awkward" 6 seasons so far on MTV which is a success),, the plot seemed entangled but it went toward a clear goals .. the writing looked okay ,, tight in some parts but still it didn't help much to cover some holes in the production as there were a couple of still scenes in the mid of the movie.

As for the cast ,, it was well picked .. again Ken Jeong in the beginning of the movie ,, he was really funny ,, the girl from "parenthood" ;) Mae Whitman she has flown up high to be really good funny gal and all the other girls as well were fine,, Chris Wylde was hilarious in the end of the movie :D ,, Robbie Amell really good acting all popular and careless .. "you were nerdy on fire in the flash" :D :D,, adding the lovable Allison Janney i think all of that crew made the movie a bit more funny and well it helped out with the rating.

Overall,, it is fresh enjoyable movie .. with a funny bits from another perspective and not forgetting to shine a light on cyber bullying problem.. so it is a recommended.