By Lisa DiCarlucci, Senior Entertainment Editor
“You Again” proved to be an aptly titled film because for the majority of the film, those words described the sentiment felt. In case you weren’t aware, girls in high school are catty and mean, the nerds get revenge and the sworn enemies always learn to find the best in each other by the film’s end. This is nothing new. And while “You Again” is funny, it relys on a plot that has been laughed at before and using slapstick comedy to try and disguise bad writing.
The film centers around Marni (Kristen Bell) whose brother is about to get married so she flies home. She is surprised however, to find that her brother’s fiance is the very same girl that made her life a living hell back in high school when she was formerly queen of the nerds. She is even more surprised when Joana pretends shes had no idea who Marni is, but she quickly makes it clear that this is only an act to protect her newly found good girl personality. Though her brother is clearly smitten, Marni quickly sets out on a mission to show him the truth. Throw into the mix that Joana’s aunt just happens to be Marni’s mother’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) old frenemy and we have war.
What ensues is a typical plot of backstabbing and trickery that is infamous of this type of film and the female population in general. Betty White is added too but, sweet as she is, does little for the film. Her making cheap jokes about using technology and hip lingo is getting old fast.
The slapstick comedy does work though, as it almost always does. No matter how easy a trick, it’s hard not to laugh at someone face planting into a pile of mud. So in that respect, “You Again” gets the laughs it wants, but is far from refreshing or innovative. I felt like I was watching “27 Dresses” all over with more estrogen and less eye candy (thank you, James Marsden), and “27 Dresses” wasn’t that great to begin with.
While “You Again” is not a bad movie, it’s certainly not a good one either. Today’s economy is kind of in the tank and to waste millions of dollars to make a movie with practically no substance and nothing new to bring the table is somewhat of a crime. Almost as much of a crime as the way Betty White’s career has reached it demise thanks to played out jokes about Facebook.
