John Tucker Must Die film review

certificate_12A

JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE

Hollywood delivers one of its many annual comedies aimed at teen girls in John Tucker Must Die, a Mean Girls-wannabe that falls way short of the mark. Director Betty Thomas, who first found fame as Sergeant Lucy Bates on Hill Street Blues, has carved out a niche making mainstream comedies but since the box office success of Doctor Dolittle she's only helmed such underperforming affairs such as the little-remembered I Spy and 28 Days (that's Bullock, not zombies). It's a trend unlikely to be changed by her latest work, which is soon likely to be found in the bargain DVD bucket if its poor reception in the US is anything to go by.

The so-called comedy revolves around three bitchy High School teens who all discover that they have been led on by their school's basketball star and all-round good guy John Tucker (Desperate Housewives' Jesse Metcalfe). The three are self-centred bitches, but devise a plan to enlist the help of the demure and dorky Kate (Brittany Snow) to turn the tables on their romantic nemesis.

The hilarious gag that underlines all of the girls' efforts to make John look bad is that no matter what they do, he always ends up more popular than he was before. Implications that he has a sexual disease, forcing him to dress in a thong and other such shenanigans are the order of the day, but the director and screenwriter fail to bring anything convincing to the screen, let alone anything amusing.

Performances are as one-note as the script: all in all this is a highly forgettable affair which is likely to even try the temperament of the most naive and gullible twelve-year-old girl. Anyone over this age is well advised to steer clear.

Paul Hurley