By Rob N. LeDonne

Starring Amanda Bynes as well, a man, She’s The Man, while directed mainly towards a pre-teen crowd, is a delight for all ages.

The film centers on Viola (Bynes) who disguises herself as her brother Sebastian to prove to her soccer coach that girls can play the sport just as well as guys.

While her brother sneaks off on his own adventure to England to pursue a career in music, Viola lives in his dorm and falls for his roommate, Duke (Channing Tatum). The plot soon thickens; multiple characters fall in love with each other, and as the film nears its climax there are countless confusing love triangles. It is interesting to note that the film is a (very loose) adaptation of the Shakespeare play “Twelfth Night.”

She’s The Man has many positives, most importantly the young and vibrant Bynes. Starting her career on Nickelodeon’s “Saturday Night Live” type variety show “All That” she later moved onto her own self-titled show, a handful of movie roles and a part on the WB sitcom “What I Like About You.”

Her knack for acting is unmistakable in the film; she anchors it while playing both sexes and still pulling off plenty of charm and humor. Channing Tatum, on the other hand, is the opposite. Tatum, who was previously a model, was probably only hired for his brooding good looks and athletic build, and soon proves he cannot act his way out of a paper bag. The rest of the cast rounds out nicely however, featuring “Arrested Development’s” David Cross and Julie Hagerty, the female lead in Airplane.

To sum up, She’s the Man is a fun and fresh comedy with few low notes and plenty of high ones, including Bynes’ delightful performance.

Amanda Bynes in “She’s the Man.”