DVD Review: She's The Man - Page 2

Even in the by-the-numbers attempts to display "girl power" and such, the movie is dismally uninspired. Of course Viola is able to wow her coach and teammates with her soccer prowess. Of course Viola, as Sebastian, develops a crush on her male roommate. Of course you will see every plot development coming a mile away. With a running time of 105 minutes, it's very odd that the filmmakers chose to include four or five montages, edited to blaring (but numbingly generic) pop-rock songs.

Why the padding? This movie would've seemed long had it clocked in at 80 minutes. The flimsy plotting doesn't justify the indulgent length. On a more positive note, the PG-13 rating is entirely appropriate as this film is basically family-friendly viewing. If anything, a plain old PG might have been more accurate. The filmmakers avoid the tasteless humor found in many of today's teen flicks (though frankly, some of that might have improved this movie).

By the way, Sebastian is portrayed by an actor named James Kirk. Had the screenwriter named the character Tiberius instead, it would have provided the movie with it's only moment of true wit.

As for the DVD itself, the movie is presented in anamorphically enhanced widescreen. The transfer is sharp and clean, as expected for a movie just released earlier this year. Soundtrack choices are Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 surround.

The disc is loaded with a fairly impressive array of bonus features. There are two commentary tracks featuring cast and crew members, as well as a text commentary. A selection of approximately 11 minutes worth of deleted scenes is included, with optional commentary. There are three fairly informative featurettes dealing with the making of the film, its cast members, and the Shakespeare connection - they total just under a half hour combined. A variety of more minor features round out the supplements, including a not very funny gag reel.

Article Author: Sherry Lipp

Sherry writes mostly music and DVD reviews, and on occasion she gets to do an interview. She plays the guitar, loves to read, watch movies, and write. Sherry also is a gluten free food blogger, and enjoys coming up with grain and sugar free recipes.

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