Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 2 ratings
Viola Hastings is in a real jam. Complications threaten her scheme to pose as her twin brother, Sebastian, and take his place at a new boarding school. She falls in love with her handsome roommate, Duke, who loves beautiful Olivia, who has fallen for Sebastian! As if that were not enough, Viola's twin returns from London ahead of schedule but has no idea that his sister has already replaced him on campus.
She's the Man is a likable Shakespeare-derived teen comedy (Twelfth Night) with a charismatic Amanda Bynes performance and solid ensemble energy. The plot mechanics are fun but the mistaken-identity formula is well-worn, and the screenplay leans heavily on broad physical comedy and stock characters rather than genuine wit. Cinematography is functional at best — flat and TV-movie in feel, nothing distinctive. The ending resolves predictably and rushes through its beats without much emotional payoff. Novelty gets a modest bump for the Shakespeare adaptation angle in a mainstream teen-comedy package, but it's ultimately a fairly by-the-numbers execution of a familiar premise.