She’s the Man
★★★
I have to hand it to She's the Man. The movie commits. I feel as if the cast and crew knew how ridiculous the premise and plot of this movie was and they knew their best defense was to go full throttle. At moments I thought that this was the stupidest movie I had ever seen, but then a giggle would involuntarily escape from my mouth. "Am I actually enjoying this?" is a question that I kept on repeating to myself throughout the runtime.
Amanda Bynes is a bit confounding in this film. Her performance seems inspired by Bugs Bunny and is so over-the-top that you feel as if she's on speed. Her face is in constant motion and I can't tell if this is a coping mechanism for how bad the script is. In the same turn, she's captivating. Similar to Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura, you are astounded by the bravery of her mannerisms. But is this a compliment?
The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Bynes is interesting, to say the least. I think it's fair to say that their ultimate coupling is more convenient than believable, but I don't think She's the Man is concerned about such things. It's fun to see Tatum in an early role and you can see the seeds of a Hollywood star being born. He knows how to bring humor to a straight-man role that often leaves him out to dry.
Despite its many misgivings, including gender-based jokes that have aged very poorly, She's the Man is a lot of goofy fun. I was well out of college and out of the demographics that this movie was aiming to please, but I can see how a junior high student in 2006 would make this one of their favorite films. It's almost in how I view Billy Madison. Immature? Stupid? Jokes that you couldn't say today? Yes to all of the above. Yet, I still find myself laughing at the absurdity of it all.
