Now I would just like to say that I love this movie for what it is. Namely, a smart and hilarious teen flick that is at its best when its staying with "the funny", and completely sappy and or cheesy when it attempts anything else. "She's the Man" had solid comedic acting from Amanda. She has really grown as a comedian, and I look forward to seeing her in future roles. The film also had enough pretty people to make the setting nothing like any normal person's high school. I don't know else I can say other than this movie made me laugh way too loud, even for a movie theater, and I had to stifle my chocking laughter numerous times with my coat. i highly recommend this movie to anyone in need of a few laughs and some mindless dialog
325 Reviews
Bynes and Company Score a Hat Trick
Lauren_Simpson16 March 2006
Though I hate to admit it, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith have scored again. "She's the Man" is a ridiculous but ultimately entertaining teen movie which takes the gender-bending action of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and drops it in the middle of a modern-day American boarding school. The premise should sound familiar because screenwriters Lutz and Smith also penned "10 Things I Hate About You," another twist on Shakespeare, starring the likes of Julia Styles and Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger (before he was an Academy Award nominee).
It's more of the same, of course, but seeing Shakespeare's work go Hollywood, and, thus, be ripped to shreds, continues to amuse. "She's the Man" also focuses on a decidedly less bitter heroine than the shrew, Katarina, played in 1999 by a very stilted Styles. If that makes the film less witty, who cares? Not half of this film's target audience, who came mostly to see Channing Tatum with his shirt off.
Like Kat in "10 Things," Viola (Amanda Bynes) is a tomboy and a soccer star on the women's team at Cornwall Prep. Her life is soccer, which becomes a problem when her school cuts the women from the sports program. Better than most of the boys, Viola wants to suit up with them but is snubbed by both the coach and the team's captain – her boyfriend. So it's "end of discussion end of relationship." Viola hatches a plan to pursue her sporting dreams at rival school Illyria, where her twin brother has just enrolled. Twin brother, Sebastian, is skipping off to England for two weeks and nobody at Illyria has ever met him.
If you missed the set up, read "Twelfth Night." It's pretty obvious what happens from here. Viola disguises herself as her brother and moves into the dorms where she meets her roommate and fellow soccer player Duke (Channing Tatum). She begins to gear up for Illyria's season opener against Cornwall and has to navigate a complicated love-triangle, in addition to other challenges like taking a shower alongside her male teammates, without them finding out about her girl parts.
In reality, nobody who looks like Bynes could get away with impersonating a 17 year-old male. Viola is too pretty to be a boy; in other words, dressed as her brother, she makes Orlando Bloom look like a frost-bitten lumberjack. This fantasy aspect doesn't detract from the film, though. Viola puts on her wig and fake sideburns and, suddenly, she's the most socially awkward nerd-boy you've ever seen. Suspension of disbelief works.
The Sebastian disguise doesn't have to be convincing. What matters is that all the other characters are oblivious to facts that are obvious to the audience. The laughs come from seeing Viola get away with a ridiculous scam. In one scene, Duke and fake Sebastian hug each other, but Viola slips out of character and gets a little too friendly. It's not that homoeroticism or homophobia are inherently funny, it's the knowledge that Duke is disturbed by being frisked by someone who is actually a girl that makes us laugh.
Other than that, "She's the Man" offers audiences the simple pleasure of Amanda Bynes who seems to be a natural in comedic roles. Her Sebastian/Viola is definitely a caricature but it's a perfectly illustrated one. From her mixed-up half southern, half Canadian drawl (her misguided version of the typical teen boy cadence), to her crotch grabbing and Eminem-like posturing, Bynes has a lot of fun and, as a result, the jokes land.
It's a teen movie, so the ending is typical and cheesy. While sister film "10 Things I Hate About You" had a wild feminist streak in it and touched on somewhat weighty issues, such as the pressure to have sex, "She's the Man" lacks a serious undercurrent. But this is probably a good thing. "10 Things" was, at times, too earnest and moralizing. "She's the Man" doesn't pretend to be more important than it is. It'll earn a spot on the shelf, in between "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Legally Blonde." (And, like Reese, maybe Bynes will win an Oscar in 10 years. Anything is possible – just look at how "Crash" won Best Film.)
Copyright (c) 2006 by Lauren Simpson
It's more of the same, of course, but seeing Shakespeare's work go Hollywood, and, thus, be ripped to shreds, continues to amuse. "She's the Man" also focuses on a decidedly less bitter heroine than the shrew, Katarina, played in 1999 by a very stilted Styles. If that makes the film less witty, who cares? Not half of this film's target audience, who came mostly to see Channing Tatum with his shirt off.
Like Kat in "10 Things," Viola (Amanda Bynes) is a tomboy and a soccer star on the women's team at Cornwall Prep. Her life is soccer, which becomes a problem when her school cuts the women from the sports program. Better than most of the boys, Viola wants to suit up with them but is snubbed by both the coach and the team's captain – her boyfriend. So it's "end of discussion end of relationship." Viola hatches a plan to pursue her sporting dreams at rival school Illyria, where her twin brother has just enrolled. Twin brother, Sebastian, is skipping off to England for two weeks and nobody at Illyria has ever met him.
If you missed the set up, read "Twelfth Night." It's pretty obvious what happens from here. Viola disguises herself as her brother and moves into the dorms where she meets her roommate and fellow soccer player Duke (Channing Tatum). She begins to gear up for Illyria's season opener against Cornwall and has to navigate a complicated love-triangle, in addition to other challenges like taking a shower alongside her male teammates, without them finding out about her girl parts.
In reality, nobody who looks like Bynes could get away with impersonating a 17 year-old male. Viola is too pretty to be a boy; in other words, dressed as her brother, she makes Orlando Bloom look like a frost-bitten lumberjack. This fantasy aspect doesn't detract from the film, though. Viola puts on her wig and fake sideburns and, suddenly, she's the most socially awkward nerd-boy you've ever seen. Suspension of disbelief works.
The Sebastian disguise doesn't have to be convincing. What matters is that all the other characters are oblivious to facts that are obvious to the audience. The laughs come from seeing Viola get away with a ridiculous scam. In one scene, Duke and fake Sebastian hug each other, but Viola slips out of character and gets a little too friendly. It's not that homoeroticism or homophobia are inherently funny, it's the knowledge that Duke is disturbed by being frisked by someone who is actually a girl that makes us laugh.
Other than that, "She's the Man" offers audiences the simple pleasure of Amanda Bynes who seems to be a natural in comedic roles. Her Sebastian/Viola is definitely a caricature but it's a perfectly illustrated one. From her mixed-up half southern, half Canadian drawl (her misguided version of the typical teen boy cadence), to her crotch grabbing and Eminem-like posturing, Bynes has a lot of fun and, as a result, the jokes land.
It's a teen movie, so the ending is typical and cheesy. While sister film "10 Things I Hate About You" had a wild feminist streak in it and touched on somewhat weighty issues, such as the pressure to have sex, "She's the Man" lacks a serious undercurrent. But this is probably a good thing. "10 Things" was, at times, too earnest and moralizing. "She's the Man" doesn't pretend to be more important than it is. It'll earn a spot on the shelf, in between "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Legally Blonde." (And, like Reese, maybe Bynes will win an Oscar in 10 years. Anything is possible – just look at how "Crash" won Best Film.)
Copyright (c) 2006 by Lauren Simpson
Just One of the Guys of the Soccer Team
claudio_carvalho5 September 2010
When the Cornwall school cancels the women's soccer team, the player Viola (Amanda Bynes) is absolutely disappointed since the sport is her passion. Then her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) skips class to travel to London to play his songs and Viola disguises herself as if she was Sebastian to join the Illirya soccer team. Viola falls in love for her roommate Duke (Channing Tatum) that has a crush on Olivia Lennox (Laura Ramsey) that feels attracted by the sensitive Sebastian (indeed Viola) that is chased by his girlfriend Monique (Alex Breckenridge). Out of the blue, the real Sebastian anticipates his return from London and he is not aware of the situation and has to play soccer game against Cornwall.
"He's the Man" is a funny and entertaining comedy with a predictable story similar to the 1985 "Just One of the Guys". The cute Amanda Bynes does not look like a boy but her performance is pleasant. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Ela é o Cara" ("She is the Guy")
"He's the Man" is a funny and entertaining comedy with a predictable story similar to the 1985 "Just One of the Guys". The cute Amanda Bynes does not look like a boy but her performance is pleasant. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Ela é o Cara" ("She is the Guy")
Completely Corny yet Still Very Entertaining
christian12318 May 2006
Viola Johnson (Amanda Bynes) enters a prestigious boarding school disguised as her brother, so that he can run off to London to become a musician. Unfortunately, she immediately falls for her male roommate, who already has a crush on a girl who now has a crush on the male version of Viola.
Combining the story of "Just One of the Guys" and Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night may sound like a recipe for disaster but She's the Man is a funny, charming and cheesy movie. The original trailer looked really lame yet the film turned out to be quite enjoyable. The story is clearly nothing new but it still works fine. The fact that the screenplay is written by Karen McCullah Lutz explains everything. She's good for harmless, fun films like She's the Man, Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted. Andy Fickman does a decent job as the director. He never lets the film become too serious or else it would ruin the movie's appeal. He does overload on a few lame jokes though. That was the major problem I had with this film. Some of the jokes just fell flat while others were just incredibly cheesy, even for this film.
The acting was good for this type of movie and most of the actors were enjoyable to watch on screen. Amanda Bynes is full of charm as Viola. It was very hard to actually hate her and she's a much better actress than Hilary Duff. Channing Tatum was not as strong as Amanda. His performance was okay, sometimes his reactions were a little fake. Laura Ramsey plays Olivia and she gives a decent performance. Alex Breckenridge gives a pretty good performance as Monique. Her character was pretty interesting and she had decent chemistry with Amanda. The rest of the supporting actors are good except for David Cross. He plays the school principal and his performance was not funny at all.
If you do give She's the Man a shot then keep in mind that the entire film is highly unrealistic. I was reading some of the posts here and a few people are bashing the film for that. While the movie is pretty entertaining, it's also easily forgettable. It was a fun way to spend 100 minutes but it won't stay in your memory for long. It's also not just a chick flick and a guy could also like the movie. In the end, She's the Man is worth checking out whether that be in the theaters or on video. Rating 7/10
Combining the story of "Just One of the Guys" and Shakespeare's The Twelfth Night may sound like a recipe for disaster but She's the Man is a funny, charming and cheesy movie. The original trailer looked really lame yet the film turned out to be quite enjoyable. The story is clearly nothing new but it still works fine. The fact that the screenplay is written by Karen McCullah Lutz explains everything. She's good for harmless, fun films like She's the Man, Legally Blonde and Ella Enchanted. Andy Fickman does a decent job as the director. He never lets the film become too serious or else it would ruin the movie's appeal. He does overload on a few lame jokes though. That was the major problem I had with this film. Some of the jokes just fell flat while others were just incredibly cheesy, even for this film.
The acting was good for this type of movie and most of the actors were enjoyable to watch on screen. Amanda Bynes is full of charm as Viola. It was very hard to actually hate her and she's a much better actress than Hilary Duff. Channing Tatum was not as strong as Amanda. His performance was okay, sometimes his reactions were a little fake. Laura Ramsey plays Olivia and she gives a decent performance. Alex Breckenridge gives a pretty good performance as Monique. Her character was pretty interesting and she had decent chemistry with Amanda. The rest of the supporting actors are good except for David Cross. He plays the school principal and his performance was not funny at all.
If you do give She's the Man a shot then keep in mind that the entire film is highly unrealistic. I was reading some of the posts here and a few people are bashing the film for that. While the movie is pretty entertaining, it's also easily forgettable. It was a fun way to spend 100 minutes but it won't stay in your memory for long. It's also not just a chick flick and a guy could also like the movie. In the end, She's the Man is worth checking out whether that be in the theaters or on video. Rating 7/10
A fine effort
mrw815 March 2006
Just returned from a screening of She's the man. It's not a cinematic masterpiece. There is no nudity whatsoever. No swearing whatsoever. But still a solid production with strong comic performances from the leads, especially Bynes. The writers are Karen Lutz and Kristen Smith who also wrote "Legally Blonde" and "10 things I hate about you" Expect the same theatrical set up/punchline/soundtrack dominated flick with more "Series of Shots" plot development montages than most people care to see. The dozens of 16 year old girls at the screening ("I told you at lunch that I was gonna sit with Amanda. Cause remember during study hall when that cute Senior was walking by and Amanda asked me first if I would sit with her? Remember?) all loved this movie. I have watched Legally Blonde numerous times on cross country flights and it never fails to disappoint me. Mainly because Reese Witherspoon is despicable and one dimensional. She is easy to hate. Amanda Bynes is a piece of work. Impossible to dislike. She reminds me of Lucile Ball and Ellen Degeneres with a natural sense of timing and uninhibited range of expression. Bynes is adorable. These types of comedies live or die on how memorable the cast is. If the performances are wooden such as in 10 Things I Hate About You, the film fades into dust. She's the Man is a fine effort. I found myself laughing at regular intervals. That wasn't true with Mean Girls because the performances in Mean Girls were not convincing. They seemed too rehearsed. The cast of She's the Man is theatrical to a fault, but the situation demands it. Their performances come across as improvised and authentic. They are going for laughs and mostly get them. I can't see how anyone under 20 would not like this movie. Anyone over 20 should see it if they like teen comedies with clever situations.
fun
Kirpianuscus1 June 2017
like each film for teenagers, the fun is the basic purpose. and, in this case, the mission accomplished is the right definition. because Amanda Bynes is fantastic and Channing Tatum did a great job. and , sure, David Cross gives the perfect spice. the references to Shakespeare, the holes of credibility of entire story, the crazy humor, the nice hypothesis, the lovely music, all are pieces of a seductive film, charming scene by scene, easy but perfect for entertainment. so, a teenager movie. one of the most charming.
"She's the Man" tries to be original and funny but the final verdict is very typical and average
ScottDMenzel17 March 2006
"She's the Man" is loosely based on Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". The movie is about a girl named Viola (Amanda Bynes) who is basically a Tomboy. She loves the game of soccer with all her heart. But when her school cuts the girls soccer team, Viola is devastated and demands that she can be part of the male soccer team. But the coach of the male team denies her request. As she ventures home after the bad news, Viola finds out that her brother Sebastian (James Kirk) is secretly leaving for two weeks to go to London because his band is playing a concert there. So Viola gets the idea that since her brother is going to be away for 2 weeks, she can go to his school, pretend to be him and play soccer for her brother's high school soccer team. How can she do this you might ask? Well Viola and her brother Sebastian are Fraternal twins. So Viola becomes Sebastian and that's where the fun begins.
If you have seen the trailer for "She's the Man", you basically seen the entire movie. I haven't seen a movie in such a long time that really narrows its audience down like "She's The Man" does. If you really want to appreciate this movie you have to be a female between the ages of 10 to 16. I mean sure anyone can watch it and maybe have a cheap laugh or two but most will say I seen this movie before or this is just too infantile for me to appreciate. That's what I felt like when I sat through this film.
This movie can be compared to such movies as "Ladybugs" and "Just one of the Guys". The movie pretty much mixes both ideas together. One problem I had with this movie was the jokes were just so silly and over the top. I sat in a packed theater today and the only ones who laughed at majority of the jokes were those little girls between the ages of 10 to 16. The older crowd including parents and myself just sat, wondering what was so funny?
Also another problem I had with this film was the plot holes. And yes I know this is a comedy and I should have checked my brain at the door when coming into the theater but how did the mother and father not know about both Sebastian and Viola being gone. Furthermore, how the hell did anyone believe that Amanda Bynes was actually a guy? To me she wasn't very believable.
I think the main problem though was that "She's the Man" was just too typical of a movie. It followed suit of every lame teen movie ever made. It's predictable, the jokes weren't original, and the movie never produced anything new to help out an already stale genre. It didn't even try to be original nor did it try to appeal to anyone outside the target audience. Good comedies appeal to many people and although they are targeted to a specific group other groups can view them and enjoy them for different reasons then the target audience.
I don't really know what to say about Amanda Bynes. I have never been a big fan of her work and this movie does very little to change my mind about that. I must admit that I always feel I should like her because she always plays such a likable character but for some reason she can't win me over. Personally, I think Lindsay Lohan as an actress has great on-screen presence and can win an audience over but Bynes still hasn't had the ability to win me over yet. David Cross is hands down my favorite character in the movie and in all honesty was probably one of the biggest selling points to get me to watch "She's the Man." Although he delivers some nice solid laughs, Cross isn't in the film enough to really shine like he should. He plays such a minor character. The rest of the cast was pretty much just eye candy for the little pre-teens and teenagers who this movie was targeted for. They all did an OK job.
In the end, if you seen the trailer for "She's the Man" you have seen the entire movie. If you are between the ages of 10-16 run to the theater at the first chance you get. If you aren't in that demographic well I would definitely wait for DVD for this one. This movie isn't that bad but I just feel it's so typical and average. It's a film that so many have seen before and doesn't add anything new to the genre. "She's the Man" is pretty mild and harmless entertainment but it is also very forgettable. Amanda Bynes really needs to start doing movies that appeal to a larger audience than just teens. She may have the ability to be really good but this movie doesn't show it.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "She's the Man" is a 5/10. A must for teenyboppers but an average film for the rest of us.
If you have seen the trailer for "She's the Man", you basically seen the entire movie. I haven't seen a movie in such a long time that really narrows its audience down like "She's The Man" does. If you really want to appreciate this movie you have to be a female between the ages of 10 to 16. I mean sure anyone can watch it and maybe have a cheap laugh or two but most will say I seen this movie before or this is just too infantile for me to appreciate. That's what I felt like when I sat through this film.
This movie can be compared to such movies as "Ladybugs" and "Just one of the Guys". The movie pretty much mixes both ideas together. One problem I had with this movie was the jokes were just so silly and over the top. I sat in a packed theater today and the only ones who laughed at majority of the jokes were those little girls between the ages of 10 to 16. The older crowd including parents and myself just sat, wondering what was so funny?
Also another problem I had with this film was the plot holes. And yes I know this is a comedy and I should have checked my brain at the door when coming into the theater but how did the mother and father not know about both Sebastian and Viola being gone. Furthermore, how the hell did anyone believe that Amanda Bynes was actually a guy? To me she wasn't very believable.
I think the main problem though was that "She's the Man" was just too typical of a movie. It followed suit of every lame teen movie ever made. It's predictable, the jokes weren't original, and the movie never produced anything new to help out an already stale genre. It didn't even try to be original nor did it try to appeal to anyone outside the target audience. Good comedies appeal to many people and although they are targeted to a specific group other groups can view them and enjoy them for different reasons then the target audience.
I don't really know what to say about Amanda Bynes. I have never been a big fan of her work and this movie does very little to change my mind about that. I must admit that I always feel I should like her because she always plays such a likable character but for some reason she can't win me over. Personally, I think Lindsay Lohan as an actress has great on-screen presence and can win an audience over but Bynes still hasn't had the ability to win me over yet. David Cross is hands down my favorite character in the movie and in all honesty was probably one of the biggest selling points to get me to watch "She's the Man." Although he delivers some nice solid laughs, Cross isn't in the film enough to really shine like he should. He plays such a minor character. The rest of the cast was pretty much just eye candy for the little pre-teens and teenagers who this movie was targeted for. They all did an OK job.
In the end, if you seen the trailer for "She's the Man" you have seen the entire movie. If you are between the ages of 10-16 run to the theater at the first chance you get. If you aren't in that demographic well I would definitely wait for DVD for this one. This movie isn't that bad but I just feel it's so typical and average. It's a film that so many have seen before and doesn't add anything new to the genre. "She's the Man" is pretty mild and harmless entertainment but it is also very forgettable. Amanda Bynes really needs to start doing movies that appeal to a larger audience than just teens. She may have the ability to be really good but this movie doesn't show it.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "She's the Man" is a 5/10. A must for teenyboppers but an average film for the rest of us.
She's not the man at all, she's just embarrassing!
Tim Hunter5 April 2006
I went into this film not expecting much, so in that respect, I wasn't disappointed, but even then, I can't believe how dire this film really is. Amanda Bynes as the cross-dressing Viola/Sebastian takes every opportunity to mug for the camera, and reinforce the gender stereotypes that always plague such teen comedies. It's so full of over-exaggerated types, that it seems like the filmmakers took a teen comedy proforma and just ticked the boxes: spunky/pretty/feisty girl? Check. Spunky but dumb athletic jock boy? Check. Ditzy frou-frou mom? Check. Gay best friend/hairdresser needed for makeover? Check. Beautiful but unattainable girl who really is shy? Check. I could go on. What's most disappointing is that this film had a real chance to say something, albeit through comedy, about gender roles, cross-dressing and even sexual attraction, but backed away quickly whenever it got close. The concept of same-sex attraction isn't explored at all in the film: when Duke finds himself attracted to 'Sebastian'; he just says it'd be 'weird'. I'm just giving it 2: one for the all the scenes where Channing Tatum and his hot friends are topless, and one because you can't really muck up Shakespeare that much.
First Rate Teen Flick
cdelacroix118 March 2006
I saw this movie today (opened yesterday here) and was simply delighted.
I saw a review that said something to the effect that the reviewer thought this would be just another teen movie, but then found it was based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ... and then started trying to justify liking this flick on Shakespearean grounds. I really think this is going way overboard: the only connections I could see with Twelfth Night are (a) the basic conceit of a girl masquerading as a man; (b) the extensive male-female humor arising out of that basic conceit; and (c) some of the names (including Viola & Duke).
Aside from those names, the thematic commonalties (a & b) are really great themes for any script, and this movie's script is no exception. Beyond that, though, this really is a simply delightful and very contemporary/traditional teen flick. And that's a perfectly legit genre even if highbrows have to find an excuse to like it ... like alluding to Shakespeare.
The movie is bright, fast-paced, emotive, stylized, funny ... full of teen hormones and teen humor and male/female humor suitable for all ages. And that's really the best part IMHO: really just about every male stereotype and every female stereotype is depicted in roundly appealing over-the-top fun. Those stereotypes are parodied relentlessly but affectionately, with such a complexity of invention that I'm still a little bewildered ... but really don't feel at all disappointed in that regard, it's not that kind of a movie: things come at you fast and fun and you get a laugh and a groan and then move on to the next split-second happening.
Amanda Bynes really is just delightful as Viola / Sebastian; Channing Tatum makes a wonderful Duke; David Cross does a wonderfully over the top Principal Gold. All of the acting and characterizations were fine and on target. Cinematography was excellent.
Wonderful entertainment from beginning to end ... check it out!
I saw a review that said something to the effect that the reviewer thought this would be just another teen movie, but then found it was based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night ... and then started trying to justify liking this flick on Shakespearean grounds. I really think this is going way overboard: the only connections I could see with Twelfth Night are (a) the basic conceit of a girl masquerading as a man; (b) the extensive male-female humor arising out of that basic conceit; and (c) some of the names (including Viola & Duke).
Aside from those names, the thematic commonalties (a & b) are really great themes for any script, and this movie's script is no exception. Beyond that, though, this really is a simply delightful and very contemporary/traditional teen flick. And that's a perfectly legit genre even if highbrows have to find an excuse to like it ... like alluding to Shakespeare.
The movie is bright, fast-paced, emotive, stylized, funny ... full of teen hormones and teen humor and male/female humor suitable for all ages. And that's really the best part IMHO: really just about every male stereotype and every female stereotype is depicted in roundly appealing over-the-top fun. Those stereotypes are parodied relentlessly but affectionately, with such a complexity of invention that I'm still a little bewildered ... but really don't feel at all disappointed in that regard, it's not that kind of a movie: things come at you fast and fun and you get a laugh and a groan and then move on to the next split-second happening.
Amanda Bynes really is just delightful as Viola / Sebastian; Channing Tatum makes a wonderful Duke; David Cross does a wonderfully over the top Principal Gold. All of the acting and characterizations were fine and on target. Cinematography was excellent.
Wonderful entertainment from beginning to end ... check it out!
Sister Acts.
HiddenVoice12 March 2006
She's the Man is a fresh and entertaining chick flick following the same league as MEAN GIRLS. The Story,loosely based on the Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night, given a modern touch.
the story is quite twisted and funny with an interesting tagline:
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... When her big brother decides to ditch for a couple weeks in London, Viola (Bynes) heads over to his elite boarding school, disguises herself as him, and proceeds to fall for one of her soccer teammates. Little does she realize she's not the only one with romantic troubles, as she, as he, gets in the middle of a series of intermingled love affairs.
There are number of colorful characters with funny dialogues.Though it's not as original or as smart as MEAN GIRLS ,it's still fresh and entertaining. The cast is lively, and Bynes really shines in the title role.She was a joy to watch.
For a good,fun time in the cinema this is a great treat.
the story is quite twisted and funny with an interesting tagline:
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... When her big brother decides to ditch for a couple weeks in London, Viola (Bynes) heads over to his elite boarding school, disguises herself as him, and proceeds to fall for one of her soccer teammates. Little does she realize she's not the only one with romantic troubles, as she, as he, gets in the middle of a series of intermingled love affairs.
There are number of colorful characters with funny dialogues.Though it's not as original or as smart as MEAN GIRLS ,it's still fresh and entertaining. The cast is lively, and Bynes really shines in the title role.She was a joy to watch.
For a good,fun time in the cinema this is a great treat.
If you liked "Bring it On," you'll love "She's the Man"
itsnotezbngashoe3 April 2006
This movie sucked. It made me long for Garfield the Movie. I sat through Gigli mildly entertained, yet I wouldn't wish this on Sadam. Its almost as if Amanda Bynes has a King Midas-like ability to turn everything she touches into refuse. So if you're looking for a good movie, or even just a movie that is not too funny but at least somewhat entertaining, then go see Ice Age II. Otherwise just save yourself the nine dollars I paid to Muvico Cinemas and stare at your watch for two hours because that's what you're going to end up doing if you go to see "She's the Man. For further reasoning on why this modern day adaptation of Twelfth Night sucked, here is the review i'm turning in to my English teacher who forced me to sit through this wretched abortion.
For some reason the writers of this movie decided to not only put the story of "Twelfth Night" not only into modern times, but into the lives of high school kids who look like they are twenty five and act like they are twelve. The character of viola is bastardized and betrayed almost entirely. Her motivation from the beginning is changed from fighting from her life from a shipwreck and looking for a way to survive and keep herself alive, to having her high school soccer team dismantled. She joins another schools team pretending to be her brother simply to get back at her ex boyfriend even though she believes ahead of time that she will not be recognized by scouts or prospectors for anything she does nor receive any benefit from her efforts at all in anyway because she is pretending to be her brother. Thus, she has no motivation whatsoever and is not a realistic character.
The characters Toby and Andrew are also abandoned. they are simply friends of Duke and therefore become friends of Sebastian. They have nothing to with the story. They are simply fall back characters to toss lines to whenever writers couldn't think of anymore substantial dialogue for Duke or Viola and needed yet another lame sexual innuendo to fill the dead air time,lest the audience actually listen to the story.
The name Malvolio was used but in such a poor and shamelessly vain way that you cant really give the movie any credit for having such a character. In "She's the Man", the Feste character loses his pet tarantula and passes out fliers. On one of these fliers is a picture of the spider and the name Malvolio. This is thrown in for no other reason than to remind you that you are watching a movie based on Twelfth Night, and trust me if they didn't continue to shamelessly point that out you would forget it very quickly.
So do yourself a favor and do something else with your time, maybe read or something,, maybe even Twelfth Night. Just don't make the same mistake i did because i will never get back to two hours of my life that movie stole from me, good luck
For some reason the writers of this movie decided to not only put the story of "Twelfth Night" not only into modern times, but into the lives of high school kids who look like they are twenty five and act like they are twelve. The character of viola is bastardized and betrayed almost entirely. Her motivation from the beginning is changed from fighting from her life from a shipwreck and looking for a way to survive and keep herself alive, to having her high school soccer team dismantled. She joins another schools team pretending to be her brother simply to get back at her ex boyfriend even though she believes ahead of time that she will not be recognized by scouts or prospectors for anything she does nor receive any benefit from her efforts at all in anyway because she is pretending to be her brother. Thus, she has no motivation whatsoever and is not a realistic character.
The characters Toby and Andrew are also abandoned. they are simply friends of Duke and therefore become friends of Sebastian. They have nothing to with the story. They are simply fall back characters to toss lines to whenever writers couldn't think of anymore substantial dialogue for Duke or Viola and needed yet another lame sexual innuendo to fill the dead air time,lest the audience actually listen to the story.
The name Malvolio was used but in such a poor and shamelessly vain way that you cant really give the movie any credit for having such a character. In "She's the Man", the Feste character loses his pet tarantula and passes out fliers. On one of these fliers is a picture of the spider and the name Malvolio. This is thrown in for no other reason than to remind you that you are watching a movie based on Twelfth Night, and trust me if they didn't continue to shamelessly point that out you would forget it very quickly.
So do yourself a favor and do something else with your time, maybe read or something,, maybe even Twelfth Night. Just don't make the same mistake i did because i will never get back to two hours of my life that movie stole from me, good luck
Yeah, a bit predictable, but still enjoyable
Smells_Like_Cheese4 August 2006
I have to be honest, I really had a good time watching She's the Man. Despite it being a typical teenage comedy or if you will the switching of the sexes movie, it had some pretty decent laughs that I think anyone could get. Adults and teens alike would over all enjoy this movie.
Amanda Bynes is your typical rebellious teen who dresses and acts like a guy, and when she is turned down to try out for the boy's soccer team, she decides to take over her brother's appearance to prove herself worthy of being on the boy's soccer team. Of course, love shows itself when she meets another guy who thinks she's her brother. She also has a girl who is chasing after her. Well, the tag line says it all.
This is a fun little teen drama that I think will be remembered for a while. Amanda Bynes did prove something in the film, it's really hard to really act like a guy. :D Well, it's true!
8/10
Amanda Bynes is your typical rebellious teen who dresses and acts like a guy, and when she is turned down to try out for the boy's soccer team, she decides to take over her brother's appearance to prove herself worthy of being on the boy's soccer team. Of course, love shows itself when she meets another guy who thinks she's her brother. She also has a girl who is chasing after her. Well, the tag line says it all.
This is a fun little teen drama that I think will be remembered for a while. Amanda Bynes did prove something in the film, it's really hard to really act like a guy. :D Well, it's true!
8/10
Likable and Hilarious!
moviewizguy15 August 2007
When Viola learns her soccer team is no more, she wants to join the boys team. The coach says no, so she dresses up like her brother Sebastian, and goes to his school for two weeks and pretends to be him. Her roommate Duke also plays soccer, and has a serious crush on a girl named Olivia. Olivia likes Sebastien, who is really Viola who really likes Duke. When Sebastian comes home, everything gets complicated!
There were "The Hot Chick", "Big Momma's House", "White Chicks", "Freaky Friday", and a few more of those similar movies which were, I guess, a success in the box office. This film is like the others but why wasn't this as successful as the films I've just mentioned? I was kind of disappointed that not as many people watched this film but I guess that's the way it is.
This straight out hilarious. I mean it. It's a very highly entertaining film with laugh out loud jokes and satirical humor. I guess it accomplishes the goal of being a comedy. Now for the plot, who cares if it's ludicrous? I mean, I bet people didn't mind anything from the movies I've mentioned earlier.
Amanda Bynes is so cute that puts a smile to your face. Yeah, she can't act like a guy? So what? She delivers the laughs and so do many other people in the ensemble cast. You also can't help but admit the plot is confusing. If you've read the plot line of this movie, you'll find out why.
This is as funny (and sometimes surprisingly serious) as many of the films I've mentioned above. The song choices, appropriately picked, are great for the teens who is watching his film. Sure, it's not groundbreaking from this kind of plot but it sure is a hell lot of fun, fast paced, hilarious comedy. This one sure hits it out of the ballpark!
There were "The Hot Chick", "Big Momma's House", "White Chicks", "Freaky Friday", and a few more of those similar movies which were, I guess, a success in the box office. This film is like the others but why wasn't this as successful as the films I've just mentioned? I was kind of disappointed that not as many people watched this film but I guess that's the way it is.
This straight out hilarious. I mean it. It's a very highly entertaining film with laugh out loud jokes and satirical humor. I guess it accomplishes the goal of being a comedy. Now for the plot, who cares if it's ludicrous? I mean, I bet people didn't mind anything from the movies I've mentioned earlier.
Amanda Bynes is so cute that puts a smile to your face. Yeah, she can't act like a guy? So what? She delivers the laughs and so do many other people in the ensemble cast. You also can't help but admit the plot is confusing. If you've read the plot line of this movie, you'll find out why.
This is as funny (and sometimes surprisingly serious) as many of the films I've mentioned above. The song choices, appropriately picked, are great for the teens who is watching his film. Sure, it's not groundbreaking from this kind of plot but it sure is a hell lot of fun, fast paced, hilarious comedy. This one sure hits it out of the ballpark!
Just Bad
cloudmerchant17 September 2006
My girlfriend talked me into renting She's the Man and I will never forgive her for subjecting me to the horror that was this "film". The only slightly intriguing aspect was the idea of Amanda Bynes dressed as a boy. Sadly, even that was not enough to pull it off. Admittedly, there were some entertaining lines and I may have laughed out loud once or twice but the painful moments and pathetic, repeated attempts at humor (during Amanda's attempts at faking masculinity) just made me wince and shake my head. If you've recently been subjected to a lobotomy and have lost all sense of what entertainment is, this is the film for you.
So fun and entertaining
Gordon-112 January 2013
This film is about a teenage girl who poses as her twin brother to attend his school, so that she can play in the boys' soccer team.
"She's the Man" is unbelievably hilarious! I laughed out loud so many times, and I even curled up into a ball from laughing. The film has no gross humour, which is refreshing for a change.Amanda Bynes is quite convincing in her (admittedly over the top) male mannerisms, there are so many times when I thought her male voice must have been dubbed using a man's voice. Though the sweet ending ventures into the usual chick flick territory, "She's the Man" is still a very fun and entertaining film to watch.
"She's the Man" is unbelievably hilarious! I laughed out loud so many times, and I even curled up into a ball from laughing. The film has no gross humour, which is refreshing for a change.Amanda Bynes is quite convincing in her (admittedly over the top) male mannerisms, there are so many times when I thought her male voice must have been dubbed using a man's voice. Though the sweet ending ventures into the usual chick flick territory, "She's the Man" is still a very fun and entertaining film to watch.
Pleasantly decent
sholic13 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The only thing I knew about this cast was Bynes did some work on Nickelodeon and Tatum had a string of teen flicks, neither of which I've watched before. Had a pretty low expectation given the genre so it was pretty pleasant to find out it wasn't as horrible as I anticipated it to be.
Bynes was amusing enough (borderline annoying if your threshold is pretty low) during the whole OTT girl went undercover as boy disguise mission. Her mannerisms were similar to that of Bullock circa Miss Congeniality although I find Bynes being better in the silly department whereas Bullock excels better in bringing the romance into romantic comedy lead.
Tatum made great eye candy although 'twas pretty painful to watch him go through the more serious scenes - like him telling Viola (as Sebastian) off in treating woman badly. He fared slightly better during silly scenes - like whenever he had to act all nervous every time he talked to Olivia.
The supporting cast really shone here. I've always had a fondness for Jones so I'm thrilled anytime I see him (doubly so here since I didn't know he was cast). Cross did a great job along with Torti as well as Viola/Sebastian's crew in supporting her/him with the transformation and Duke's silly frat entourage.
I could enjoy this a lot more if the subplot of Duke and Viola hooking up didn't feel so artificial and forced but alas, (i) romantic (/i) comedy sells better than straight up laugh in your face humour especially whenever we have a female lead. After all, it (i) was (/i) based on the Shakespeare's Twelfth Night play
Bynes was amusing enough (borderline annoying if your threshold is pretty low) during the whole OTT girl went undercover as boy disguise mission. Her mannerisms were similar to that of Bullock circa Miss Congeniality although I find Bynes being better in the silly department whereas Bullock excels better in bringing the romance into romantic comedy lead.
Tatum made great eye candy although 'twas pretty painful to watch him go through the more serious scenes - like him telling Viola (as Sebastian) off in treating woman badly. He fared slightly better during silly scenes - like whenever he had to act all nervous every time he talked to Olivia.
The supporting cast really shone here. I've always had a fondness for Jones so I'm thrilled anytime I see him (doubly so here since I didn't know he was cast). Cross did a great job along with Torti as well as Viola/Sebastian's crew in supporting her/him with the transformation and Duke's silly frat entourage.
I could enjoy this a lot more if the subplot of Duke and Viola hooking up didn't feel so artificial and forced but alas, (i) romantic (/i) comedy sells better than straight up laugh in your face humour especially whenever we have a female lead. After all, it (i) was (/i) based on the Shakespeare's Twelfth Night play
She's the Man
oOoBarracuda21 March 2016
Bringing all of the gender confusion and love triangulating of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night to a high school setting was a wonderful way to bring the bard's work to a younger generation. Andy Fickman's 2006 film She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum remained faithful to the 1601 work of Shakespeare with perfectly modern twists to engage a brand new audience. Much like Twelfth Night (1996), She;s the Man stayed true to Shakespeare's theme of gender confusion, She's the Man also brings secrecy and betrayal to the forefront more so than the bard himself. Even with gender roles reversed and interchangeable, the overarching message in She's the Man is what it means to confide in someone and how damaging it can be when trust is broken.
High school student Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes) is a star soccer player on her girl's soccer team. For Viola, soccer is life, which is why she feels as though her life is over when her school's girl's soccer team is cut. Viola and some of the girls go to the boy's soccer team and ask if they can join. Viola is sure that they will comply as her boyfriend is the goalie of the boy's team and has expressed to Viola that her talent exceeds half of the members of his team. When the boys scoff at the idea of having girls on their team and refuse the girls, Viola seeks revenge. Viola then learns that her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk), newly enrolled at a new high school, is fleeing with his band for London and will miss his first two weeks of school. Viola decides to go to the new high school in her brother's place, make the soccer team, and beat her own high school's boys soccer team exacting revenge on her school and ex-boyfriend. Viola didn't expect to fall in love with her roommate Duke (Channing Tatum) who is trying to seduce the popular Olivia (Laura Ramsey). Olivia connects with Sebastian/Viola and eventually falls in love with her, not knowing, of course, that Sebastian is Viola in disguise. Calamity ensues when the real Sebastian returns from London early, unaware that he has been replaced at his school by his sister.
The connections all throughout She's the Man to Twelfth Night were a pure joy for this literature buff. The artful ways in which they brought pieces of Shakespeare's tale of the modern day were wonderful. I especially appreciated naming the rival school that Viola attends in Sebastian's place that of the town Viola washed upon after the shipwreck in Twelfth Night. I also enjoyed the naming of the spider in She's the Man to bring about the source inspiration, as well. I especially enjoy a reimagined film that pays proper tribute to the version it is reimagining. The acting is nothing to write home about. It is a teen comedy with younger actors playing teenagers, nothing extraordinary, but all parts were played adequately. The music was the real clincher for She's the Man. The upbeat fun music really made the transformation for the bard's work of aristocracy to the high school halls in a great way.
As mentioned before, and fleshed out in another review, Twelfth Night deals heavily with the theme of gender confusion, likewise, She's the Man does the same with the main character Viola dressing as her brother. What She's the Man does that Twelfth Night didn't do is focus primarily on secrets and betrayal. Much more emphasis was placed upon the secret Viola was keeping from her roommate in She's the Man than Viola's secret she was keeping from the Count in Twelfth Night. It was interesting to see that turn and the prominence placed on secret keeping in the reimagined work. Even the film's tagline begins with "Everybody has a secret...". The emphasis on this film certainly lies within all of the mini betrayals between the gender confusion, and all others involved with it. The shift from the curse of love to trust and secrets was an interesting choice and made for a slightly more engaging film. There's something in this film for everyone, and even if you ignore the bard's inspiration in the film, you will still come away enjoying it.
High school student Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes) is a star soccer player on her girl's soccer team. For Viola, soccer is life, which is why she feels as though her life is over when her school's girl's soccer team is cut. Viola and some of the girls go to the boy's soccer team and ask if they can join. Viola is sure that they will comply as her boyfriend is the goalie of the boy's team and has expressed to Viola that her talent exceeds half of the members of his team. When the boys scoff at the idea of having girls on their team and refuse the girls, Viola seeks revenge. Viola then learns that her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk), newly enrolled at a new high school, is fleeing with his band for London and will miss his first two weeks of school. Viola decides to go to the new high school in her brother's place, make the soccer team, and beat her own high school's boys soccer team exacting revenge on her school and ex-boyfriend. Viola didn't expect to fall in love with her roommate Duke (Channing Tatum) who is trying to seduce the popular Olivia (Laura Ramsey). Olivia connects with Sebastian/Viola and eventually falls in love with her, not knowing, of course, that Sebastian is Viola in disguise. Calamity ensues when the real Sebastian returns from London early, unaware that he has been replaced at his school by his sister.
The connections all throughout She's the Man to Twelfth Night were a pure joy for this literature buff. The artful ways in which they brought pieces of Shakespeare's tale of the modern day were wonderful. I especially appreciated naming the rival school that Viola attends in Sebastian's place that of the town Viola washed upon after the shipwreck in Twelfth Night. I also enjoyed the naming of the spider in She's the Man to bring about the source inspiration, as well. I especially enjoy a reimagined film that pays proper tribute to the version it is reimagining. The acting is nothing to write home about. It is a teen comedy with younger actors playing teenagers, nothing extraordinary, but all parts were played adequately. The music was the real clincher for She's the Man. The upbeat fun music really made the transformation for the bard's work of aristocracy to the high school halls in a great way.
As mentioned before, and fleshed out in another review, Twelfth Night deals heavily with the theme of gender confusion, likewise, She's the Man does the same with the main character Viola dressing as her brother. What She's the Man does that Twelfth Night didn't do is focus primarily on secrets and betrayal. Much more emphasis was placed upon the secret Viola was keeping from her roommate in She's the Man than Viola's secret she was keeping from the Count in Twelfth Night. It was interesting to see that turn and the prominence placed on secret keeping in the reimagined work. Even the film's tagline begins with "Everybody has a secret...". The emphasis on this film certainly lies within all of the mini betrayals between the gender confusion, and all others involved with it. The shift from the curse of love to trust and secrets was an interesting choice and made for a slightly more engaging film. There's something in this film for everyone, and even if you ignore the bard's inspiration in the film, you will still come away enjoying it.
Silly Chick Flick
carolinebags24 January 2020
Love Polygon
glocksout14 August 2006
On a flight back from London, I watched She's the Man; apparently Air Canada has a crap movie policy. Perhaps that's not the best way to start a review of this movie. Amanda Bynes plays a girl who loves soccer so much that she pretends to be her twin brother to get on a team at a boarding school across town. Even if you check your mind at the door (on a 6 hour flight you have to), the story is implausible and ridiculous. There are some moments of humor, mostly from comedian David Cross as the principle, but the intricate love polygon doesn't really inspire emotion, although is is cleverly mixed (with the caveat of mindless plausibility). The ending is just as ridiculously mindless as the rest. I guess if I was a 12-year-old girl, I might have really enjoyed this one.
outrageously funny!!!
soli131322 March 2006
I just took my 11 year old daughter and 8 year old son to this movie and I can't remember a movie where I laughed SO hard -- literal out loud, deep bursts of laughter because this movie is hilarious. Granted the story line is predictable but the ride is so extremely enjoyable it doesn't matter that you know how it's going to end. The actors' comedic senses of timing were impeccable. The actors were perfectly cast. My children mentioned that Amanda Bynes seems to be the last of the young women actresses who aren't ruining their lives. She is so refreshing. My children said this is now their favorite movie of 2006. Our money was well spent on this movie.
Cringy AF and really funny
vladgordiienko11 September 2020
She's the Man
braddvi@juno.com19 July 2006
This was a terrible movie!!!!!!!!!!!. I gave it a 2 due to generosity. I first thought Amanda Bynes was in her first movie and could take this terrible acting performance. Was she a graduate of the Kelly Ripa school overacting??? Watch the TV show "Faith & "whatever" to see what I mean. I don't know how to change my vote to 1. Overly predictable, totally lacking entertainment. Rent/buy at your own risk. I very rarely respond to making comments, but................ Good luck!!! I mean it. I am filling out the 10 lines required to make this be accepted. I had an O.K. childhood. My older twin sister lives in Taos. My daughter has a beautiful baby. Have I made to the ten line minimum to voice my comments? The weather here has been very hot! THE END.
Roll in the aisles funny, a real blast!!
Robert_duder20 March 2006
She's The Man was everything I wanted it to be and maybe even a little more. I love the teen type "chick flick" films and I knew this one would be great!! In the same vein as 10 Things I Hate About You (one of my all time faves) She's The Man is a unique, well written, very well performed comedy with some of the funniest lines, and physical comedy I have seen in a long time. It's probably the funniest movie I've seen this year (with the exception of the hilarious Pink Panther.) But She's The Man is actually a more intellectual funny and most of the humor relies on the witty script, "Three's Company" style story of mistaken identities, and mixed messages, and the cast.
Amanda Bynes is a star!! Even since the days of the horribly campy (yet strangely entertaining "The Amanda Show", she has shown a brilliant talent for comedy. She's probably one of the most talented comediennes out there. Her style of physical comedy, impersonations, and witty dialect makes her hilarious. Previously her big screen debut (where she was the star) was the rather hilarious and well made "What A Girl Wants." If that wasn't her break out vehicle than She's The Man takes care of that hands down. Bynes is really the ultimate girl next door. It's a shame she doesn't do more big screen work because she could be the next "It" girl. She is the All American, cute, down to earth, bubbly teen (although she's twenty now) and whether or not she'll be able to carry her talent and style over to being an adult actor will remain to be seen. But for the purpose of this film she is perfect!! She actually legitimately pulls off the rather outlandish plot of her impersonating her twin brother and makes it believable. Not entirely...but believable enough. Most of the script relies on the comedy of her errors trying to be a guy but it's just hilarious, non stop laughs. Channing Tatum redeems himself from his deplorable performance in 2005's "Havoc" by plays Duke. He's the jock, the captain of the soccer team, and eventually Bynes' object of affection, unfortunately he's also Sebastian's room mate (who is Bynes.) He's a good leading man, and the chemistry is perfect between them. Laura Ramsey is Olivia, who happens to be attracted to Sebastian (who again is Bynes.) She does good as well although her part is small and she doesn't really effect the rest of the cast one way or another. James Kirk is great in his small role as the real Sebastian. His resemblance to Amanda Bynes is astonishing...they are absolutely believable as twins and further more, from a distance you could understand someone believing Bynes is Sebastian. The rest of the cast all fit in there somewhere and their roles range from brief to more supporting but essentially they are all supporting the story between Bynes and Tatum but everyone is more or less supporting Bynes terrific performance. She easily carries the film with no hesitations and makes it worth while.
This is one of those films that shows so much in the trailer and yet it's not one of those films that when that part comes up it's not funny anymore. The parts in the trailer that make you laugh are even more hilarious in the actual film. Relative newcomer director Andy Fickman does such an incredible job on this film. He weaves together a potentially complicated storyline and makes it flow naturally and makes everything fall together. The story which is loosely based off of Shakespeares Twelfth Night but it's remarkable how much they managed to translate over to this modern day film. It's seemingly completely off the wall but more exact to the classic comedy than you'd think. There isn't too much to say about a downside except that the last half hour drags a little and also becomes a might predictable but it doesn't change the hilarity of the first half of the film. Nonetheless you'll be laughing to tears and it's one of the funniest films in the theater right now hands down!!! 9/10
Amanda Bynes is a star!! Even since the days of the horribly campy (yet strangely entertaining "The Amanda Show", she has shown a brilliant talent for comedy. She's probably one of the most talented comediennes out there. Her style of physical comedy, impersonations, and witty dialect makes her hilarious. Previously her big screen debut (where she was the star) was the rather hilarious and well made "What A Girl Wants." If that wasn't her break out vehicle than She's The Man takes care of that hands down. Bynes is really the ultimate girl next door. It's a shame she doesn't do more big screen work because she could be the next "It" girl. She is the All American, cute, down to earth, bubbly teen (although she's twenty now) and whether or not she'll be able to carry her talent and style over to being an adult actor will remain to be seen. But for the purpose of this film she is perfect!! She actually legitimately pulls off the rather outlandish plot of her impersonating her twin brother and makes it believable. Not entirely...but believable enough. Most of the script relies on the comedy of her errors trying to be a guy but it's just hilarious, non stop laughs. Channing Tatum redeems himself from his deplorable performance in 2005's "Havoc" by plays Duke. He's the jock, the captain of the soccer team, and eventually Bynes' object of affection, unfortunately he's also Sebastian's room mate (who is Bynes.) He's a good leading man, and the chemistry is perfect between them. Laura Ramsey is Olivia, who happens to be attracted to Sebastian (who again is Bynes.) She does good as well although her part is small and she doesn't really effect the rest of the cast one way or another. James Kirk is great in his small role as the real Sebastian. His resemblance to Amanda Bynes is astonishing...they are absolutely believable as twins and further more, from a distance you could understand someone believing Bynes is Sebastian. The rest of the cast all fit in there somewhere and their roles range from brief to more supporting but essentially they are all supporting the story between Bynes and Tatum but everyone is more or less supporting Bynes terrific performance. She easily carries the film with no hesitations and makes it worth while.
This is one of those films that shows so much in the trailer and yet it's not one of those films that when that part comes up it's not funny anymore. The parts in the trailer that make you laugh are even more hilarious in the actual film. Relative newcomer director Andy Fickman does such an incredible job on this film. He weaves together a potentially complicated storyline and makes it flow naturally and makes everything fall together. The story which is loosely based off of Shakespeares Twelfth Night but it's remarkable how much they managed to translate over to this modern day film. It's seemingly completely off the wall but more exact to the classic comedy than you'd think. There isn't too much to say about a downside except that the last half hour drags a little and also becomes a might predictable but it doesn't change the hilarity of the first half of the film. Nonetheless you'll be laughing to tears and it's one of the funniest films in the theater right now hands down!!! 9/10
fun teen film
MLDinTN6 March 2007
This movie was pretty good. A lot of it has to do with the star Amanda Bynes. She has a strong screen presence and comes off as very likable. She plays Viola, a girl who is determined to show up her ex-boyfriend and prove that a girl could beat a guy at soccer. The girls soccer team gets cut and she isn't allowed to try out for the boys team. So, she goes to the rival school where her twin brother goes. The brother is on a trip to London, so she disguise herself as a boy and takes his place. She makes the soccer team but falls for one of the guys on it, her roommate, Duke. So, of course, there is many scenes of mistaken identity and Viola does crazy stuff to keep her secret.
The only part that made me say mmm... was how could no one notice that Viola as Sabastian was several inches shorter than the guys and when her brother shows up he is just as tall if not taller. And no one notices! So, you do have to buy that in order to believe the story. But I say no way.
FINAL VERDICT: Good, I recommend it if you are looking for a comedy.
The only part that made me say mmm... was how could no one notice that Viola as Sabastian was several inches shorter than the guys and when her brother shows up he is just as tall if not taller. And no one notices! So, you do have to buy that in order to believe the story. But I say no way.
FINAL VERDICT: Good, I recommend it if you are looking for a comedy.
Amanda Bynes does a bad Dr. Evil impersonation
phoenixlau4 April 2006
This is basically your average (read: mediocre) teen comedy, nothing special to see here. "Just One Of The Guys" covered almost this exact same story over 10 years ago, and did pretty much everything better than this movie, in terms of dialogue, character development, and the main character actually looking/sounding like a believable male. The only highlight in "She's The Man" is a brief cameo by David Cross. Everyone else hams up their lines with all the subtlety of stampeding wildebeasts.
Also, who's dumb idea was it to make Amanda Bynes do her "guy voice" as Dr. Evil? I half expected her at any minute to blurt out, "Sharks with freakin' lasers!" Someone needs to fire her vocal coach.
Also, who's dumb idea was it to make Amanda Bynes do her "guy voice" as Dr. Evil? I half expected her at any minute to blurt out, "Sharks with freakin' lasers!" Someone needs to fire her vocal coach.
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