She's All That follows the same basic plot line we've all seen millions of times over. Two guys make a bet over a girl. If one guy can transform her into a prom queen, he wins. Zach (Prinze Jr.) having just been dumped by his girlfriend for a Real World castaway (a very funny parody featuring Matthew Lillard of Scream fame), accepts the bet as a way of affirming his Big Man on Campus status. The girl in question is Laney Boggs (Cook), the awkward girl who likes to paint. So Zach and Laney start hanging out, having a good time, it looks like Zach will win the bet, but he's really falling for Laney, but then his friend spills the beans to her about the bet, and she gets upset, so Zach has to try and win her back, then everyone's all happy in the end. I think from the time we all saw previews for this, we all knew how it was going to end.
The reason this movie was as entertaining as it was, was due to both Prinze Jr. and Cook. They have this likeable quality about them, that makes you want them to be happy together. Of course, in a film like this, all the characters are pretty stereotypical. Zach's ex-girlfriend is the most popular girl in school who treats everyone badly. Zach's best friend (the one who made the bet) is an irritating bastard who just wants to get down every girls pants. Zach is not only the star of the soccer team (which I'll admit is a little different), he's the senior class President, front runner for Prom King, and of course, the most popular boy in school. And Laney is that attractive girl they keep hidden under baggy clothes and glasses so that when she "comes out" we're all supposed to be surprised at how this ugly duckling turned into a swan. So, as I was saying earlier, the reason this movie was entertaining was because of Prinze Jr. and Cook being able to break out of their stereotypical roles and bring a real life likeable quality to the characters. What kind of guy or girl wouldn't have fallen for these two back in high school?
Also, the director pulled off a few tricks I liked. The Real World parody was dead on, with Lillard playing a Puck-like character on the Real World, then using that "fame" to get girls and other jobs. There were also some cool flashback scenes that were utilized to tell the story. The script itself was run of the mill, and the characters didn't really have anything original to say (although I did enjoy the fact that Laney worked at a falafel stand).
The one thing that sort of bothered me about the two main stars, was that they looked too far apart in age at time. I figure they're both supposed to be seniors in high school, but he looks 20, and she looks 14. Robbing the cradle came to mind a few times. And oh yeah, there's a scene in here involving a pizza and some pubic hair that was as gross if not grosser than any hair gel scene in There's Something About Mary. It had me rolling in the aisles when I saw it.
Overall, She's All That was a fun movie to watch. Nothing unexpected happens, and you all know what's going to happen right from the start, but with Prinze Jr. and Cook leading the way, it's still a good movie to go see.
