Genre: Comedy
Director: Betty Thomas
Starring: Jesse Metcalfe, Britanny Snow, Ashtanti Douglas, Sophia Bush, Arielle Kebbel, Jenny McCarthy
RunTime: 1 hr 30 mins
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Rating: PG
Opening Day: 21 September 2006

Soundtrack: ACCESS "JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE" Soundtrack Review

Synopsis :

When three popular girls from different cliques discover they've all been dating the school's resident stud, they band together to seek revenge. Despite the jerk’s charm and ever-growing popularity, the girls cleverly scheme with the help of the inconspicuous new girl in town, to soil his reputation and ultimately break his heart.

Movie Review:

One of the better teen movies to be screened this year, John Tucker Must Die is guaranteed to get you laughing out loud and be entertained right to the end. In spite of its ominous title, don’t go in expecting a black comedy because this film is undoubtedly injected with a high dosage of cuteness.

While John Tucker (Desperate Housewive’s Jesse Metcalfe) is considered by many of his peers as the epitome of male perfection, he is also a serial womanizer. After three girls (Ashanti, Sophia Bush and Arielle Kebbel) from different cliques find out that they’ve all been dating the same guy, they decide to put aside their differences and get even with the help of newcomer, self-declared wallflower Kate (played by actress, Brittany Snow, who’s last movie was 2005’s The Pacifier).

Alas, despite all their spiteful attempts to make the captain of the basketball team suffer, cunning John Tucker always manages to somehow turn things the other way. And when he dumps all three girls at the same time, they consequently decide to get his heart crushed like theirs by transforming Kate into the perfect girl for him to fall in love with. Not surprisingly, Kate is faced with some difficult situations when she goes against John’s charms and techniques for winning his target.

Most of the actors are pretty satisfactory, but none of them really shone through here. Notably the only one who did have the best potential among the young actors is Penn Badgley, who plays the younger Tucker brother, Scott. As Kate’s first real friend in school, his role was not directly important to the plot and he was in only a few short scenes throughout the movie. Regrettably, Badgley’s character should have been given a more significant part and screen time to further showcase his acting skills and good looks.

Some of pranks and lines in this movie are really outrageous and although there were some parts that were predictable, it does get a few surprising twists as it goes along. The plot is in many ways similar to Mean Girls, where the lead girl gets caught up in someone else’s evil schemes and almost forgets who she really is. And some of the themes in this movie are comparable to another recent teen flick, She’s The Man. Girls of any age who are into the whole girl power factor, should find this quite enjoyable, along with the perks of watching Jesse Metcalfe in a lacy G-string! Guys will have the pleasure of watching four beautiful young ladies on screen and note down some useful tips on how win a girl’s heart, Hollywood style.

Of course this movie could have been made even better if it had taken more risks, but one should keep in mind that it is a regular teen movie and it is definitely one of those that ranks well on the funny and cute factor. If you’re not expecting Oscar quality, then you should not be too disappointed, if not presently surprised.

Movie Rating:

(This movie is definitely what it makes itself out to be: A teen movie that is fluffy and light. Perfect for moments when you just want to indulge in the guilty pleasure of silly fun.)

Review by Jolene Tan