Starring:
Amanda Bynes as Viola
Channing Tatum as Duke
Laura Ramsey as Olivia
Robert Hoffman as Justin
Jonathan Sadowski as Paul
Alex Breckenridge as Monique Valentine
Julie Hagerty as Daphne
Vinnie Jones as Coach Dinklage
David Cross as Principal Gold
Amanda Crew as Kia
Jessica Lucas as Yvonne
Brandon Jay McLaren as Toby
Clifton MaCabe Murray as Andrew
James Snyder as Malcolm
James Kirk as Sebastian
Special Features:
Commentary by: Director and cast featuring Amanda Bynes
Deleted scenes
Making the Man
Gag reel
Dave Lichens music video: “Let Go”
Cast photo album
Pop-up trivia
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French and Spanish Languages
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“Amanda Bynes proves that girls can do anything guys can do in She’s the Man.
The laughs are non-stop when Viola (Byrnes), disguised as her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk), joins the 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!”
She’s the Man is rated PG-13 for some sexual material.
The Movie:
She’s the Man is yet another in a long line of modern, teen movie revamps of Shakespeare plays. This time around it’s a retelling of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will.” This film is a little different from those other adaptations in that it’s a little more wacky and humorous. I mean, you don’t expect cross-dressing comedies to be serious, but this one is a little more out there than, say, 10 Things I Hate About You. This may be a turnoff to some viewers.
She’s the Man is really aimed at teenage girls and, last time I checked, I didn’t fit that demographic. There is a lot of high school romance, teen heartthrobs without their shirts, and stereotypical high school characters. None of this really appealed to me at all. And, unfortunately, this movie had little else to offer. The novelty of adapting Shakespeare has worn off and at the end of the day She’s the Man doesn’t deliver anything you haven’t seen before.
That being said, this film does have a few high points. Amanda Bynes proves yet again that she’s a versatile comedic actress. She just needs to find the right material to showcase her talent better. Arrested Development’s David Cross also steals a number of scenes as Principal Gold. A few of the scenes also generate some good laughs including a cat fight in a country club bathroom and a scene where Viola’s friends attempt to assert ‘Sebastian’s’ manliness in front of his/her roommates.
The Extras:
There are quite a few bonus features on this DVD. Kicking things off are two commentaries, one with the crew and one with the director and cast including Amanda Bynes. It’s a wild, fast paced commentary with the cast members cracking jokes, laughing at each other, and having a good time. Director Andy Fickman serves as ringleader in the discussion. Next up is your usual offering of deleted scenes. There were 9 or so of them. One features David Cross catching Sebastian accidentally going into the girl’s bathroom. There is also more footage from the carnival, more footage of the cheerleaders doing routines, and a lot more soccer footage. This is followed up by your standard “making of” video entitled “Making the Man”. They discuss the script, casting, and other stuff. It is supplemented by a feature on the secondary cast members and the soccer training for the actors. Rounding out the bonus features is a gag reel, the Dave Lichens music video “Let Go”, a cast photo album, and pop-up trivia
The Bottom Line:
Who should see She’s the Man? This movie isn’t going to appeal to many people beyond fans of Amanda Bynes, teen girls, and Shakespeare fans. Everyone else should probably pass.
