WHAT A GIRL WANTS - DVD MovieFresh-faced Nickelodeon starlet Amanda Bynes stars in
What a Girl Wants as Daphne, a 17-year-old girl in New York City who's spent her life pining for her absent father, a British lord named Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) whom her mother (Kelly Preston) met during wilder days in Morocco. Tired of waiting for him to come to her, she decides to head to London where Dashwood is launching his political career--which could be derailed by her fun-loving, free-spirited attitude. Will her father choose the daughter he's never known or a position in Parliament? The plot of
What a Girl Wants is ridiculously contrived, but the movie rides on the chemistry between Bynes and Firth. When, under Daphne's influence, Dashwood tries to break out of his stuffy shell and rediscover his inner rebel, the movie really starts to have fun.
--Bret Fet! zerAmerica's sweetheart Amanda Bynes stars in the fun comedy Sydney White! When tomboy Sydney (Bynes) is banished from the most popular sorority on campus, she is taken in by seven socially challenged but endearing guys. With the help of her new friends, Sydney stands up for outcasts everywhere and takes on the reigning campus queen in a popularity showdown! But can she succeed and also win the heart of gorgeous frat guy Tyler Prince? You'll love this hilarious and sweet age-old story with a charming modern-day twist!Entering College is a time of great transition, but Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) is secure in her plan to follow in her late-mother's footsteps and pledge Kappa Phi Nu sorority when she arrives at Southern Atlantic University. Raised by a plumber father and a host of other construction workers, the comic book collection toting Sydney is definitely her own unique person and has some decidedly tomboy tendencies that contrast starkly with the ditzy, superficia! l girls she meets at her first sorority function. Sorority lea! der and student council president Rachel (Sara Paxton) takes an instant dislike to Sydney and vows to make her rushing experience intolerable. Only Tyler (Mat Long), a member of one of the campus fraternities, seems to see and appreciate the real Sydney. After weeks of hazing abuse, Rachel declares Sydney unfit to join the sorority and a despondent Sydney joins seven misfit boys in a soon-to-be-condemned house on Greek Row known as the Vortex. Fueled by the desire for revenge and a newly discovered sense of respect and belonging thanks to her new roommates, Sydney decides to fight back against the snobbery of the Greek elite and champion the rights of all misfits on campus by running against Rachel for Student Council President. By rallying the support of interest groups and misfits campus-wide, it appears that Sydney might just have a chance of winning. This film begins with an almost gag-inducing portrayal of sorority snobbery at its worst and soon gives way to a hysterically comi! c look at the under-representation of the masses in collegiate society. The satirical parallel to
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is heavy (this is the story of "Sydney White and the Seven Dorks" complete with Sneezy, Sleepy, and Doc) and the portrayal of interest groups on college campuses is farcical to the extreme. All in all,
Sydney White is hysterically funny and surprisingly appealing to audiences of both genders and a wide age range. Rated PG-13 for some language, sexual humor, and partying. --
Tami Horiuchi Beyond Sydney White on DVD
More from Amanda Bynes | 
Mor! e from Universal Studios | 
More Teen Comedies |
Stills from Sydney White (Click for larger image) Amanda Bynes proves that girls can do anything guys can do in She’s the Man. The laughs are non-stop when Viola (Bynes), disguised as her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk), joins the high school boys’ soccer team and helps win the big game while unexpectedly falling for Duke (Channing Tatum) the hot star forward. Viola discovers that dealing with high school politics and twisted love triangles is a major challenge when you’re a guy who’s really a girl! She’s the Man features an ensemble cast of up and coming stars and hit songs from OK-Go, The Veronicas & the F-ups. It’s perfect for good-time summer fun!Shakespearean comedy and American high school are a match made in heaven--or Hollywood, at any rate. Somehow the exaggerated emotions and budding hormones of adolescen! ce are perfectly suited to Shakespeare's twisty plots, and
! She's th e Man is a perfect example. Viola (Amanda Bynes,
What a Girl Wants) is furious when she learns that her high school, Cornwall, has cut the girl's soccer team--so furious that she takes advantage of her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk,
Final Destination 2) skipping town for a few weeks to take his place at his school, Illyria, so she can join the soccer team there. But her disguise as her brother leads to complications when she falls in love with her soccer-playing roommate and the girl he's in love with falls in love with "Sebastian"... Bynes may not be entirely persuasive as a high school boy, but she's got the charm and sprightliness to make the audience follow her anyway. The clever script walks a fine balance, treating the situation realistically enough to make Viola's efforts matter, but zipping along quickly enough that we don't worry too much about the details. As Duke and Olivia--the other two parts of the love triangle--Channing Tatum and Laura ! Ramsey combine sex appeal with engaging sweetness; the excellent supporting cast includes David Cross (
Arrested Development), Julie Hagerty (
Airplane!), and former British soccer star Vinnie Jones (
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). All in all, a delightful bit of fun.
--Bret Fetzer(Family/Comedy) On a Caribbean cruise, Jenny (Bynes) is marooned on a beach with her rock and roll idol. Deliriously in love with the idea of time alone with him, she manages to hide the fact that they're a stone’s throw away from their resort.Teenagers fervently worshiping pop music stars is relatively commonplace across America, but Jenny's (Amanda Bynes) obsession with pop star Jason Masters (Chris Carmack) gets out of control when the two find themselves washed ashore on a deserted beach following a stormy accident at sea. Jenny quickly discovers that what she and Jason think is a deserted island is really a quiet beach not far away from the fancy beach resort! where they've both been staying. Cherishing some quality time! alone w ith her idol, Jenny begins an elaborate charade to keep Jason believing that they're stranded on a desert island and poses as an accomplished outdoorswoman and provider in hopes that he'll fall madly in love with her. Longtime friend Ryan (Jonathan Bennett) discovers the ruse and reluctantly agrees to help Jenny, but when rival Alexis (Jamie-Lynn DiScala) follows Ryan and discovers Jenny's secret, she's determined to get equal time with Jason and steal him away from Jenny. A light romantic comedy,
Love Wrecked is amusing, if fairly forgettable. Rated PG for sensuality, crude humor, and language.
--Tami Horiuchi
