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Whatever It Takes

Whatever It Takes

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Best Teen Movies
Review: I'm a an avid viewer of all the teen horrors and comedies that have been recently coming out. This is one of the bests. Of course, the plot is predictable, and you have your usual type-cast people (e.g. nerds, jocks, the beautiful ones. It's just the humour in this movie is better than any other. Besides 10 Things I Hate About You, but other than, it is! The actors/actresses really did their part for the movie. Especially Jodi Lynn O'Keefe who is always awesome at playing the beautiful one. I recommend you check this one out!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Do WHATEVER IT TAKES To See This Movie ; )
Review: I've been a big fan of teen movies forever and "Whatever It Takes" is the best that I've seen. It has a great cast including Shane West who is the recent movie "A Walk To Remember" co-starring with Mandy Moore. The movie is about two guys that help each other to get the girls they like to fall for them, and ryans (shane west) dorky friends trying to find dates for a prom and then the SUPER HOTT Floyd (Aaron Paul) Ruin the prom so he can go to jail...and thats not all I just suck really bad at the whole giving reviews thing. So, thats all I have to say, except that all those people who gave this movie a bad review have no clue what their talking about :) buy the movie

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Film of '00
Review: If you are a teenager looking for a good date movie, this is the one! It has comedy and romance mixed in one. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen all year! I definetely recommend it!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great stuff!
Review: If you're a fan of bad movies as a genre, this can be a lot of fun. It's a "must see" for James Franco fans. Franco does his method- acting- Marlon- Brando- James- Dean schtick surrounded by Baywatch rejects and Tiger Beat boybabes. The director never misses a chance to sexually exploit Franco's body, which makes for an especially hilarious director and cast commentary. The director actually says things like "and in this scene, I wanted more full body shots of Franco wearing only a thong and tied to the bed, but the ratings board only allowed one;" and "here, I wanted a big close up of Franco's naked butt, but the ratings board made me take it out." The female lead then replies "Oh yes, I remember working all day with Franco's naked butt right in front of my face..." Or something similar. It's a hoot.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A Decent Diversion
Review: In the midst of all those teen romance high school movies you would take Whatever It Takes just another teen movie and most of it is. But some of it is actually entertaining . Whatever It takes is about Ryan played by Shane West who is some what of a geek who eyes the school sex bomb Ashley played by Jodi Lyn O'Keefe Thus cringing on Ryans neighbor Maggie played by Marla Sokoloff but Chris a popular Jock played by Chris Franco wants Maggie and Ryan wants Ashley. So Ryan and Chris decide to help each other out therefor a version of Cyrano der Bergerac. Ryan composes e-mails for Chris and Chris advises Ryan to treat Ashley like Dirt which works most of the time and is the only way to get her attention.

First neither find it easy to change their ways but they do. But then comes the manditory studio ending with Ryan getting Maggie. Directed by newcomer David Rynar he does get convincing acts out of Shane West and Marla Sokoloff. But most of the movie is lame and not very convincing but i did like Julia Sweeney's bit part as Ryans Mother whith her i did laugh. But ultimately it was predictible and boring. What the movie needed the most was some snappy dialogue like in She's All That. Another thing Jodi Lyn O'Keffee who was in She's All That again played the sex bomb but had some very funny lines.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: How low will they go to get the girls of their dreams?
Review: It has taken me a while to get around to checking out this 2000 teen romantic comedy for the simply reason that when it came out I had actually finished writing a movie script for the first time and it was a teen romantic comedy entitled "Whatever It Takes" (using the song from Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's first solo album as inspiration) and I was crushed by cruel fate once again taunting me. But I was having a good week so I thought I could stand to watch this and not curse the heavens. Of course I somehow missed out on the 1999 "Whatever It Takes" which had Andrew Dice Clay and Fred Williamson in a film about undercover cops checking out steroid use by body builders, the 1998 animated short by director Joanna Quinn, the 1993 sexploitation comedy by director Michael Quarles, and the 1986 drama starring Martin Balsam. Gee, if only I had stopped crying long enough to find out that films were coming out with this title every year I could still done nothing but felt better about it.

This particular version of "Whatever It Takes" was hurt by the idea that it was a modern version of "Cyrano de Bergerac," the way "Ten Things I Hate About You" is an updated "Taming of the Shrew" and "Cruel Intentions" is a teenage version of "Dangerous Liaisons." However, while we do have a version of the famous balcony scene, there is a big difference in that this time around the scene is missing the pivotal irony that a man who is in love with a woman gives another man the words to woe her (although the scene is a pivotal moment in the film). So the "Cyrano" connection is a minor one, especially compared to Steve Martin's "Roxanne."

The situation is that Ryan Woodman (Shane West) has the hots for the school's reigning sex goddess, Ashley Grant (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Ryan is a good kid who has the twin misfortunes of playing the accordion and having a mother (Julia Sweeney) who is the school nurse. Meanwhile, the campus bad boy jock, Chris Campbell (James Franco) wants to add good girl Maggie Carter (Marla Sokoloff) to his list of conquests. Ryan and Maggie are nextdoor neighbors whose bedroom balconies almost touch and who have been best friends almost since birth, while Chris happens to be Ashley's cousin. So Chris comes up with the great idea that he and Ryan can help each other get the girl that they want.

The only real problem with this story line is that Ryan falls way behind the audience in terms of realizing the truth about both Ashley and Maggie. The cinematic reference I flashed on during this film was actually "10." But if Ryan is slow on the uptake this "Whatever It Takes" gets redeemed because West and Sokoloff really do come across as nice kids and the pivotal scenes are the best in the film, which really saves it. The homage to the "Cyrano" balcony scene is probably the best in the film, the grand gesture required of Ryan turns out to be an elegantly simple example of public humiliation in the name of true love, and Maggie carries off a nice case of the requisite comeuppance. That is not bad for any sort of teen romantic comedy, even one with a title for which lots of people apparently like to write scripts.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: "Whatever it takes" to degrade women, eh?
Review: It is one of the great ironies of teen movies that actresses are cast in the "beautiful girl" role based on their looks, and then their characters are summarily trashed in the screenplay for their beauty. Most of these movies are, for whatever reason, written and directed by men, who thrust their repressed high school feelings upon the production. There is always one smart (and, yes, cute) girl that can't seem to find a date. And there is the goddess wench. And a boy torn between them. It's like clockwork.

"Whatever It Takes," the latest in this long line, goes one step further in its portrayal of the school's No. 1 babe Ashley (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). O'Keefe embodies a character that, if anyone really pays attention, could best be described as bipolar, possibly schizophrenic. She responds to only verbal abuse for come-ons. And she has sex with anything that moves.

(...) In another, she camps out on a boy's lawn in her bikini, praying he will ask her to the prom.

And how about this one: Ashley gobbles some cake in a cafe, then calls a waitress over, tells her the cake was awful, then changes her mind, announcing to the entire cafe that the cake was actually good, upon which Ryan leaves the cafe, which prompts Ashley to scream she is getting "very scared."

Does it really matter that somebody falls in love here? Should a PG-13-rated movie, directed clearly at an audience of teenagers, show a high school prom where thousands of students pour into a four-star hotel for a night of all-out debauchery? Is this what teen romance has come to? Sexual rampage as a setting?

The production notes say the plot is based on "Cyrano" and I suppose it is, in the sense that Ryan (Shane West) is helping Chris (James Franco) land Ryan's best friend, Maggie (Marla Sokoloff as the smart yet cute one). In return, Chris helps Ryan bag Ashley. It doesn't take Ryan to understand sanity is virtue above pink lip gloss.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: This Movie Has What It Takes!
Review: The one important thing you ALWAYS have to remember about "teen" movies are...THERE'RE ONLY FOR TEENS! I hate when adults criticize any "teen" movie. The movies are not for them. Of course they'll find the movies to be dumb and stupid, and they won't be able to relate to the characters, because they aren't intended to "get it". Hence the title "teen flick". With all of this being said, I also want to note that my review for this movie is more so for TEENS only rather then adults. But I'll try to include adults into my review. First of all, I have what I would like to call a "sweet tooth" for these type of movies. I know that they're not "great" movies. I know that most of them are stupid and corny. But because I'm a teen, I always try to watch as many of them as I can, just like every other teen. Some of them I really like, for example, "Scream", "I Know What You Did Last Summer", "American Pie", and "Drive Me Crazy". And,of course, some I hate, like "She's All That" and "Down To You". But, I think a lot of teens are going to think the same way I do on this one, and really think it's a pretty good movie. The movie is suppose to be a sort of retelling of Cryrano DeBergerac, you know, the same way "10 Things I Hate About You" is suppose to be a retelling of "Taming Of The Shrew". Only, unlike "10...ect" this does a really bad job of retelling the story and takes on the old tired story of unpopular guy likes the most popular girl in school who doesn't even know the guy exist. But, even though we all seen this story before, the one thing that teens, both guys and girl are going to like about this one is the cast. Shane West, Marla Sokoloff, Jodi Lyn O' Keefe, and James Franco. Ryan Woodman (West) has fallen for Ashley Grant (O' Keefe) and Chris Campbell (Franco), who just happens to be Grant's cousin, likes Ryan's best friend, Maggie Carter (Sokoloff). So, they but agree to set up the other one with each girl. And, of course, they are completely different from one another. Ashley, for some odd reason, likes it when guys insult her. And Maggie loves watching "Casablanca." Now each one is finding out that the person they thought was right for them, isn't! The begining of this movie moves kinda slow. Infact, I hated it lol. Then after a while as the movie went on and on, I noticed it started to grow and grow more on me. The scene that I thought was the funniest was where Chris and Maggie are at an old age home and there's a problem going on with missing jello lol. You'll have to see the scene to undersatnd what I'm talking about. The only bad thing about I can say about this movie is, I felt there was some miscasting. The supposedly "hot" girl, played by O' Keefe, doesn't really fit her very well. That role should of went to Marla Sokoloff. But, I'm sure no one really cares about that at all, so most teens will probably enjoy this movie. Not the year's best, but a fun, (I guess) cute movie. Adults, chances are, you'll hate it. So don't even bother.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THIS MOVIE IS GREAT
Review: This is definately one of the best!

Story Line:

The Movie opens up with two best friends: Ryan (Shane West [Walk to Remember, Get Over It...]) & Maggie Carter (Marla Sokoloff [Dude, Where's My Car, Sugar & Spice, Babysitters CLub Movie, Full House {Gia}, etc]).

Ryan has a crush on a girl named Ashley Grant [She's All That {Hunter}], who is the most popular girl in school. Her cousin Chris has a crush on Maggie.

Chris approaches Ryan and tells him he can get him together Ashley if he can get him together with Maggie. He agrees.

They then do "Whatever it Takes" to get the girls to like them. Ryan has two friends named Floyd & Cosmo (Colin Hanks, Tom Hanks' son [WB/UPN Roswell {Alex}]) who are absolutely histerical. Floyd's idol is Virgil Dolittle who had stolen the neck from the statue out front the school as a prank, Floyd wants to do a final prank too. :)

This is a wonderful movie, one person wrote a review saying it was no good, but it's wonderful, Recommended to all. DVD includes a list of other things the actors have been in and a Cast Commentory +++ more Special Features.

Highly Recommended! Won't say the rest of the storyline, You have to see the movie! :)

"How Low Will They Go?"

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Do "Whatever It Takes" Not To See This Movie
Review: This is just another teeny bopper movie of the lowest kind. This movie was worse than "Sugar & Spice" and that's pretty bad. Two otherwise good actors, Shane West and Marla Sokoloff, must have been completely out of it when they signed to do this movie. Shane West could have become a serious actor if he would keep looking for roles like the one he has on the ABC series "Once and Again". The same could have been said for Marla Sokoloff who seems like a pretty good actress on the ABC series "The Practice". Jodi O'Keefe can't seem to get out of teen angst. This and "She's All That" were the only movies I've seen or heard of her in. She's going nowhere fast but there could be hope for West and Sokoloff. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless you just love stupid, pointless movies that are a waste of time.


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