"Dude Looks Like a Lady", "Walk Like a Man, Talk Like a Man"
Everybody has a secret... Duke wants Olivia who likes Sebastian who is really Viola whose brother is dating Monique so she hates Olivia whos with Duke to make Sebastian jealous who is really Viola whos crushing on Duke who thinks shes a guy...
Rating: 8/10
Running Time: 105 minutes
US Certificate: PG-13
The tagline of Shes the Man includes the following gem: everybody has a secret… Duke wants Olivia who likes Sebastian who is really Viola whose brother is dating Monique so she hates Olivia who's with Duke to make Sebastian jealous who is really Viola who's crushing on Duke who thinks she's a guy… If the plot sounds familiar, dont worry, its loosely based on the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare and while it wont get you a passing grade on a test about the play, its definitely an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
Amanda Bynes is a gem for a Hollywood teen movie meets the Bards own. Her twin brother, Sebastian, has decided to go AWOL, so she decides to take his place at the new Prep school he was going to. As Viola, she has her own reasons for going the cross-dressing route, but the humor is good-natured and avoids being totally juvenile. Theres a bit of confusion when Viola falls for Sebastians roommate and the roommates girlfriend is falling for Sebastian but what more can you ask for in a teen movie about chasing dreams and finding yourself even when you try to disguise it?
The only really painful part in the movie is when Sebastian comes home two days early to take his place at school and has no idea what Viola has done. Cringe worthy embarrassment at its best. Bynes gives off the same easy charm that made her such a winner in What a Girl Wants 3 years ago and this looks to be a good companion for that movie in the DVD collection.
Playing Viola, Amanda Bynes (What a Girl Wants, TVs What I Like About You) heads an ensemble cast that also includes a number of up-and-coming actors, including Channing Tatum (Coach Carter), Laura Ramsey (Lords of Dogtown), Jonathan Sadowski (TVs American Dreams), Robert Hoffman (You Got Served, MTVs Wild N Out), James Snyder (Pretty Persuasion), Alex Breckenridge (Romy & Michele: In the Beginning), Amanda Crew (Final Destination 3), Jessica Lucas (TVs Life As We Know It), James Kirk (X2: X-Men United) and Emily Perkins (the Ginger Snaps franchise). Rounding out the cast are soccer great-turned-actor Vinnie Jones (Swordfish, Gone in Sixty Seconds) and Robert Torti (Showtimes Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical), with Julie Hagerty (Just Friends, Airplane!) and David Cross (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, TVs Arrested Development).
It's Got: Shakespeare, Gender Benders, Cross Dressing, Unrequited Love and Self-Discovery
Summary
Fun; worth watching again