5/10
Been done before, and better. Likable cast, movie has appeal for 14 year-olds
26 December 2006
The actors are mostly likable. The plot is amiable enough too. Thing is, it's been done before, and done much better. Consider Debbie Reynolds and Toni Curtis in 'Goodbye Charlie' (1964), or the Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin masterpiece, 'All of Me', where he acts out the movie while being possessed by a woman. Or one-hit-wonder Joyce Hyser's 'Just One of the Guys', where she becomes a guy (I forget why). Or the semi-good 'The Hot Chick', with the creepy Rob Schneider and the ever-so-hot babe, Anna Farris. All those movies explored the notion of girls and boys living in each other's bodies. Weener jokes, 'Hey, I got tits!' jokes, stumbling in high heels, 'delicate flower' young ladies belching at the formal dinner table, etc., etc. There is even a cinemagraphic grammar about that whole thing by now.

Not to say there wasn't some appeal here. The cast is likable. Although the dude did seem really, really gay, even when he was not being possessed by a girl, but supposedly his own male self. I couldn't tell the difference. But the young woman actor who had to play a guy trapped in a girl's body managed really well. But there was also the obligatory black guy side kick, bitchy bimbo girl rivals, an unsympathetic 'Desperate Housewives' type mom, and cool slob parents, played by Sharon Osbourne (yaaay!) and Maury Chaykin (also yaay, but for different reasons).

All in all, nothing 'wrong'. Nothing unpleasant nor unlikeable. Just kind of shallow, and very derivative. There was a group of what seemed to be 14 year old kids sitting up in the back of the movie theater I attended, and they laughed and oohed and ahhhed a little bit at some lame-ish jokes. Well, great! I hope they liked it. But I suspect that they are probably the major audience that would find this movie appealing or interesting. And that's OK. I gave it a 5 out of 10--- nothing bad, but also nothing great... just ordinary.
41 out of 74 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed