JUST MY LUCK

Starring:
Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Faizon Love, Missi Pyle, Samaire Armstrong, Bree Turner, Makenzie Vega and McFly

Director:
Donald Petrie

Running Time:
103 mins

Out to buy on DVD 13/11/06

"He's stole my luck"

Ashley Albright (Lohan) has always had the most amazing luck. Everything has always gone right for her and because of her luck she is just about to land herself her dream job and her dream man. Jake Hardin (Pine) on the other hand has had bad luck all his life. He is desperately trying to get McFly, the band he discovered, their big break in the US by introducing them to New York biggest record mogul Damon Phillips (Love) but every time he gets close, his luck gets in the way. Everything changes however when Ashley and Jake meet at a masquerade ball where they share a kiss but they cause their luck to change.

Teen sensation and party girl Lindsay Lohan moves away from High School and into the big city but can this change bring her any luck?

High concept romantic comedies seem to be the bread and butter of teenage stars and 'Just My Luck' is no different but this movie has Lindsay Lohan in it. There is something about the red haired actress that makes her different from Hilary Duff, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Amanda Bynes or any other teen sensation and that is potential. If you have seen 'Freaky Friday' or 'Mean Girls', then you'll see that see is a teen actress that can actually act.

Now that she has grown too old to be a high school student anymore, she gets the chance to take on young adult roles but instead of moving on like Anne Hathaway did in 'Brokeback Mountain' she continues to star in fluff pieces. Fortunately 'Just my Luck' is made slightly less fluffy by her screen personality and sheer likeability. As with every character she plays, Lindsay Lohan makes Ashley Albright extremely likeable. Even when she is the luckiest girl on the planet and everything is going her way, you still like her but it is when everything starts to go wrong is when she is at her most endearing.

As well Lindsay Lohan, the movie's is a mix of up and coming actors and British pop stars trying to make it big. Chris Pine is no stranger to starring with teenage sensation after appearing in 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' but this is a role that lets him show his more comedic side. He has a real gift for physical comedy and has good chemistry with Lindsay. Samaire Armstrong and Bree Turner are good as Ashley's best friends Maggie and Dana. Brit Pop sensations McFly make their motion picture debuts and are not that bad, with only singer Tom Fletcher struggling with his lines.

The high concept storyline of 'Just my Luck' is not so far fetched as many other films in the genre. While the switching of luck from one person to another is a little kooky, the two main characters blame luck for their constant misfortune but soon realise that they might have the power to make their own luck. Of course the switch makes for some amusing set pieces and mishaps that will appeal to the young audience the film is targeted at.

'Just my Luck' works simply because of the presence of Lindsay Lohan. She and the talented young cast make the film a lot more watchable than it should have been, even for viewers outside of its target audience. Lets just hope that Lindsay can live up to her potential and take on some more challenging roles to prove that she is as talented as everyone hopes she is.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented extremely well.

BONUS FEATURES

Look of Luck Featurette (2.35 mins)
Screenwriters I. Marlene King and Amy Harris and costume designer Gary Jones talk about the clothes in the movie and how Ashley Albright's look changed with her luck.

McFly: Behind the Scenes Part 1 Featurette (7.35 mins)
Director Donald Petrie and star Lindsey Lohan join McFly band members Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter as they record the music for 'Just My Luck'. Here we go behind the scenes of the concert footage for the movie and the featurette reveals how the director got the reactions he needed from the crowd.

McFly: Behind the Scenes Part 2 Featurette (7.35 mins)
Here we see the recording of the concert footage and Harry Judd's big moment in front of the British crowd. These two featurettes are fun and a must watch for all fans of McFly.

Fox Movie Channel Presents: Casting Session (8.51 mins)
Director Donald Petrie, casting director Michael Hothorn, producer Arnold Rifkin and stars Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Bree Turner and Samaire Armstrong talk about getting their roles for 'Just My Luck'.

Deleted/Extended Scenes
Entitled 'Sushi restaurant', 'bank' and 'Mail cart', these deleted or extended scenes suffer from the lack of an introduction or commentary track to reveal why they were removed.

McFly Concert Footage
Watch 'I've got you (live)' and 'I wanna hold you (live)' from the concert recorded for 'Just My Luck'

Lindsey Lohan Profile (3.57 mins)
The star of the film talks about the role, cloths, influences and physical comedy of 'Just My Luck'

Chris Pine Profile (3.59 mins)
The up and coming actress talks about the role and working with Lindsey and the rest of the cast.

Trailers
Previews of 'Aquamarine', 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' and 'Garfield 2'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Just My Luck' is a good one, as you'd expect from Fox. The featurettes are fun and fans of the movie will only be disappointed with the lack of a commentary track. McFly fans will also be very pleased and will buy this anyway.

DVD

Mean Girls


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