SHE'S THE MAN

Starring:
Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Robert Hoffman, Alex Breckenridge, Jonathan Sadowski, James Kirk, Julie Hagerty, David Cross and Vinnie Jones

Director:
Andy Fickman

Running Time:
105 mins

Out to buy on DVD 24/07/06 (UK) & 18/07/06 (North America)

"Hey, Dogs"

When Viola's (Bynes) soccer team is dropped from her high school sports schedule she has no way of getting herself noticed for a college scholarship. She sees an opportunity however when her brother Sebastian (Kirk), runs off to London with his band for two weeks, she can take his place at his new school, make the soccer and beat her old school in the first match of the season. All she has to do is become her brother.

Making Shakespeare more contempory is something that Hollywood has had mixed success with but will 'She's the Man' have what it takes to score a hit?

Based loosely on Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', movie takes the premise of a woman posing as a man and transfers it into a modern high school setting. Here instead of an orphaned woman posing as a servant to get close to the man she loves, Viola is a high school student who needs to pose as a man to play soccer. Some of the characters have the same names as the classic ones from the play and the love triangle element is still there but this is not really a genuine adaptation of the Shakespeare's comic tragedy.

This Viola of the story needs to be a man, not to find love but to get into a rival soccer team so she can beat the one that turned her down. Along the way she discovers what it is like to be the male of the species, to be the object of someone's affections and to fall in love, all with the background of the American version of the world's most popular game.

There have been very few movies that have captured the beautiful game properly and this one is another example of how not to portray football (soccer) on the silver screen. This of course is the American version of the game where a player can be substituted in the first half and then come back on in the second. It is also one were all the best goals are overhead kicks and the female players can play with their hair down so they can look sexy and not the ball. The recording of the games is also stereotypical with far too many close ups to cover up the fact that the actors are not really that good at the game and have been replaced by proper players. You might be expecting more, especially with Vinnie Jones as the coach but you have to remember he wasn't that great a player anyway.

While the football (soccer) elements of the film might not be the most actuate portrayal of the game but the presence of Amanda Bynes makes up for the sports shortcomings. She is one of the most talented of the current crop of American teenage actresses. She is clearly a gifted comedic actress and it is her and her alone that makes the film more watchable than it ever should have been. As Viola/Sebastian she really has fun as a girl in a man's world as we see her try and cope with the every day issues of being a man. The rest of the cast look far too old to be high school students however. Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey and Robert Hoffman as Duke, Olivia and Justin look well into there twenties and Alex Breckenridge looks even older as Monique, which makes it hard for you to see them as teenagers. David Cross is extremely funny as Principal Gold however.

'She's the Man' is another attempt to make Shakespeare more contempory to today's teen market but unfortunately it doesn't quite work. The football (soccer) element just doesn't work for anyone who knows the game and most of the cast just look far too old for their characters. The only saving grace is the performance of Amanda Bynes but she deserves a much better script than this.

PICTURE & SOUND

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

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with Amanda Bynes, director Andy Fickman, co-writer/producer Ewan Leslie, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Robert Hoffman and Alex Breckenridge
This multi-person commentary is very fun and filled with behind the scenes stories and mickey taking from the ensemble. With the company constantly laughing throughout, they talk about adapting 'Twelve Night' into a modern age and adding in 'Soccer' to the mix. This is a fun commentary that fans of the film will enjoy.

Commentary by co-writer/producer Ewan Leslie and producer Lauren Shuler Donner
In a more technical discussion about the production of the film, the two producers reveal behind the scenes secrets of the production. They talk about casting the movie with up and coming young actors and making Shakespeare all the more relevant in modern terms. This is a more usual commentary but an interesting one for those of you who want to know how a teen movie is made.

Making the Man (15.07 mins)
Director Andy Fickman, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, co-writer/producer Ewan Leslie, co-writers Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, soccer choreographer Dan Metcalfe and stars Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Robert Hoffman, Alex Breckenridge and Jonathan Sadowski come together to talk about making an alternative version of 'Twelve Night'. They talk about the director, the stars and the process of bringing this story up to date. They also talk about the soccer and the comedy in the film.

The Troupe (7.51 mins)
Director Andy Fickman, producer Lauren Shuler Donner and stars Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Robert Hoffman, Jonathan Sadowski, Alex Breckenridge, Laura Ramsey, James Snyder, David Cross and Vinnie Jones talk about the stars, the characters and working with the director.

Inspired by Shakespeare's… (4.26 mins)
Director Andy Fickman, co-writer/producer Ewan Leslie and co-writers Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith talk about bringing the story of 'Twelve Night' into modern times and the paying homage to the Bard's tale.

Deleted Scenes (11.16 mins)
'Burger King', 'In hallway with Principal', 'Dunk tank', 'Mom swings the hammer', 'Principles office', 'Locker Room', 'The cheerleaders' and 'Soccer montage', these deleted scenes accompanied by optional commentary director Andy Fickman, co-writer/producer Ewan Leslie and star Amanda Bynes.

Gag Reel (3.25 mins)
Watch the cast have fun on set and having problems with their lines.

Cast Photo Album
View behind the scenes and publicity images from 'She's the Man'

Music Video 'Let go' by Dave Lichens (3.21 mins)
Watch the promotional music video from the original motion picture soundtrack for 'She's the Man'

Theatrical Trailer (2.32 mins)
Watch the trailer that previewed the movie in cinemas

OVERALL

The DVD package for 'She's the Man' is very good. Fans will be very pleased with the commentary tracks and the featurettes, as they cover all aspects of the film's production. This is a good DVD package.

DVD

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