She's The Man Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 03.20.2006
I can only imagine what Shakespeare would think.
Viola: Amanda Bynes
Duke: Channing Tatum
Justin: Robert Hoffman
Monique: Alex Breckenridge
Principal Gold: David Cross
Olivia: Laura Ramsey
James Kirk: Sebastian
Directed by: Andy Fickman
Release Date: March 17, 2006
Running Time: 105 minutes
Rated PG-13 for some sexual material
My expectations of She's The Man were not very high, but at the same time, a little part of me hoped that a surprise would jump out. Unfortunately, there are no surprises whatsoever from this amusingly corny and sometimes excruciating teeny bopper fest. The target audience for a film like this is obvious. If you are a male or female from the ages of 12 to 16, this is a dream come true. If you are any other age, She's The Man will dash into theaters, and turn up on the Disney channel fast enough that most moviegoers will have forgotten it ever existed.
Viola (Amanda Bynes) is your common, everyday teenager who loves soccer, her friends, and boys. She is at that time in her life when her parents are anything but cool. She attends Cornwall Prep, and after the girls' soccer team is cut, she thinks of a risky plan in order to get her revenge. Viola actually has a twin brother named Sebastian (James Kirk) who is about to start at a new boarding school called Illyria Prep. Viola gets the idea that she can disguise herself as her brother, join the boys' soccer team, and humiliate Cornwall for the big rivalry game. Things seem to be going fine, but some unforeseen bumps in the road cause everything to go haywire. Viola falls in love with her roommate at Illyria named Duke (Channing Tatum), but Duke is in love with the extremely popular Olivia (Laura Ramsey), while Olivia likes Sebastian, who is actually Viola. With the real Sebastian in London trying to get some attention with his band, Viola's lying quickly becomes out of control. Viola must continue to be as convincing as possible with her cover or else her whole life might come crashing down on top of her.
I can admit to the fact that Amanda Bynes is extremely cute, and I can even say that I would have gone crazy for this type of movie years ago, but times change and people change. One cannot ignore the putrid acting that is exaggerated one hundred times over. As Viola, Amanda Bynes is attractive and occasionally funny, but when the foolish wig goes on her head as she pretends to be a boy, I was embarrassed to be in the theater. Any potential she conveyed in What A Girl Wants or Big Fat Liar has evaporated into thin air with this preposterous teen comedy. It is not funny or lovable in the slightest as the dialogue and voice she exhibits as her brother Sebastian is truly painful to watch and listen to. Even if all the problems with the plot are thrown to the side, the performances still stand as beyond ridiculous.
Channing Tatum and Laura Ramsey supply the chief one dimensional supporting roles. Tatum portrays Viola's roommate Duke as if he was the stand in for someone in a high school play. As I watched him recite line after excruciating line, I imagined that he has more trouble with acting than he did with algebra in school. On the bright side of things, Tatum plays a convincing high school student even though he is in his mid-twenties. In all seriousness, Laura Ramsey wasn't all that terrible as the Olivia, the most sought after female at Illyria. I was not moved by her presence, but at least I could stand to see and hear her on screen. The most enjoyable and comical character in She's The Man is David Cross as the headmaster of Illyria. He has small roles in various television shows like The Drew Carey Show, and he contributes fabulous voices to numerous animated films and shows. Through most scenes I had to cover my eyes because I could not believe what I was watching, but Cross evoked the most laughter.
Andy Fickman's feature film debut has suffered a worse crash than the most violent pile up on Interstate 95. He should stick to directing television specials like Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical. She's The Man is based upon the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. I can't help but wonder what Mr. Shakespeare would say if he was subjected to all of these horrendous modern adaptations of his writings. This lacks any of the originality that Shakespeare revealed. Fickman recycles every single cliché possible with no actual effort at all, and even though it is excessively predictable, it accomplishes one feat of not transpiring as boring. Ewan Leslie, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kristen Smith are responsible for taking this Shakespearian play and turning it into a forgettable teen fiasco. This is Leslie's debut input as a screenwriter, but Smith and Lutz have made splashes before with the hidden gem 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde. My advice to Fickman and company would be to take some lesson in creativity.
Critics and viewers alike bashed The Girl Next Door, but at least that film used young talent that was semi-convincing and humorous. That plot was unique and surprising with ingredients that both sexes could adore. It is amazing to me that some people can give She's The Man positive feedback for presenting nothing fresh or stimulating, but The Girl Next Door was among the year's worst? She's The Man can be best compared to 1992's Ladybugs starring Rodney Dangerfield and Jonathan Brandis or Just one of the Guys from 1985. At least Ladybugs had Dangerfield amusing the audience for 90 minutes.
Every male character in this mess was pulled right from an Abercrombie and Fitch ad, while the females flapped their eye lashes and strutted around in tight jeans with no brainpower functioning. When Fickman has no clue what to do next, he inserts sequences of soccer cheerleaders wearing next to nothing, and endless training montages. She's The Man is so silly that it becomes entertaining, but that does not eliminate the fact that it is agonizing and toe-curling to get through. Despite some rare moments of delight, She's The Man neglects to take advantage of the myriad of opportunities that exist in cross-dressing films. Lastly, I want to know whose outrageously nutty idea it was to add the gag of inserting a tampon into one's nose to stop the bleeding.
The 411: I wasn’t bored, but I was truly embarrassed to be there at times. It was totally unexpected that this would such an uncomfortable experience of ghastly acting and the most predictable plot ever because I thought maybe a couple of surprises would surface. Bynes is kind of cute for her age, but as an actress she does not appeal to anyone over 16. Maybe that is her goal. Anyway, do not go see this unless you can’t get enough of teen comedies.
