John Tucker Must Die
Studio: 20th Century Fox Distribution
Rated: PG-13
Cast: Jesse Metcalfe, Sophia Bush, Ashanti, Brittany Snow, Sophia Bush
Director: Betty Thomas
WorkNameSort: John Tucker Must Die
Our Rating: 1.50
If Mean Girls was the high-school movie for college students, then Tucker is the high-school movie for middle schoolers, locating their embryonic social anxieties in a cadre of homeroom princesses who seek tandem revenge on the fella who two-timed them all. The flick’s girl-power aesthetic frequently gets lost in the madcap shuffle of elaborate, high-tech adventures that are far beyond the capabilities of actual teens. But those are hardly fatal drawbacks in a movie that’s targeted squarely at your little sister; just be thankful there are a few honest laughs left over for you, too. There’s also a decent showing by local Arielle Kebbel, whose amiable portrayal of a midriff-baring overachiever indicates she may be shuttling from jailbait roles to playing gal pals of the Eve Arden variety. Let’s just hope she doesn’t miss out on the vast expanse of opportunities in between.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2006.