SHE'S ALL THAT (1999)

KEEP WATCHING THE SCREENS
~By Beef Lenin

Do you like My Fair Lady? So do I. Isn't it good? This is the same exact story, only bad. Another late '90s vehicle for sexy senior citizen Freddie Prinze Jr., the plot of She's All That centers around Prinze's character accepting a challenge from a fellow classmate that he can take any girl in school and turn her into prom queen. His hubris is duly punished when he is handed the seemingly impossible task of making this evolution take place in Rachel Leigh Cook. Rachel Leigh Cook. Drop dead gorgeous even when dolled up in nerd drag at the beginning of the film, the audience is expected to accept Cook's transformation from nerd to knockout with all the improbability of the proverbial lead into gold. In no time at all "suspension of disbelief" is stretched further than a tube top on a hippopotamus and I'm left asking "Yeah? So?"

The most depressing aspect of this turgid and uninspired entry into the Teensploitation pantheon is the fact that a mere three years after its release, watching it is akin to opening a time portal to another dimension. From the title on down to the soundtrack and a hold-your-nose-worthy impromptu rap in the quad, one-day historians will be able to use this film as a quick desktop reference guide to late 20th century pop culture trends.

I don't really feel the need to continue; you know how this story ends. Cook becomes privy to the wager; Prinze begins to awaken to the folly of superficiality. The popular lifestyle is once again shown to be not all it's cracked up to being. Recommended only for 14 year old girls who may or may not have ever existed.

The Scale Of Pain

You'll laugh at the sheer absurdity of Cook's transmogrification merely being a function necessitated by the removal of her glasses. But only once…

Rippability

Teensploitation is always a comedic gold mine. Leave your PC sensibilities at the door and let 'em fly.

Redeeming Qualities - I don't know for sure if I'd call it Cormanian Paradox. But there's honestly nothing here to recommend.