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Whatever It Takes
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"You be me…and I'll be you." There has been a steady stream recently of "teen coming of age" movies. As is the case with movies like, American Pie and She's All That, the story of Whatever It Takes revolves around a pact or a bet. While the types of narratives in these movies are as old as story telling itself (This one is just an updated Cyrano de Bergerac story) the genre of "teen movies" is still relatively new. As with most things in there infancy, this group of films is still experiencing its growing pains. This one doesn't have the best or most original story, but if you like beautiful teens with problems, this is certainly the place to be. What do you do when you have a crush on the hottest girl in school Ashley, the head cheerleader, the one that doesn't know you're alive? Well if your Ryan (Shane West), you make a pact with Ashley's super jock cousin Chris, you know the kind, if he helps Chris get together with Ryan's next store neighbor and best friend Maggie (Marla Sokoloff), then Chris will give him the secret to winning Ashley. This plan is all well and good, that is it does start to work. The question then is, "Is Ryan ready for what he has become?" and better yet, "Did he get the better end of the deal?" This is the classic, if you are looking for love you often need not look any further then your own backyard. Video quality of this Anamorphic digitally mastered DVD, is "OK, but nothing special", displaying some softness, grain, and a small amount of dirt. While these are not overly distracting, for a movie from this year, we hoped for better. Also presented in "Full Screen". Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, this soundtrack is mostly focused on the center channel because of the films primarily conversational nature. There are a few times (mostly music) that you can tell that this is one is 5.1, but you won't find anything overly impressive. The number of extras here are above average for a common movie. Extras include a director and cast commentary, Deleted Scenes, and a Making-of Featurette. While this one can't rival the discs with the most features, nor the ones that have two discs, you certainly do get your money's worth here. With the "teen movie" genre currently in high gear it is getting hard to keep them all separated. This one is better then some, but could certainly get lost in the pack, just as easily. Still, if you are looking for a fun movie to watch on a random, rainy afternoon, this one may bring a little sunshine into your day. Just don't look for a lot of depth. Oh, and a note to all you young guys out there, if a girl that looks like Marla Sokooloff lives next-door to you, and can stand your accordion music, don't waste a minute, ask her out NOW!
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
Whatever It Takes If you like beautiful teens with problems, this is certainly the place to be Staring: Shane West Directed By: David Raynr Running time: 94 Min Bonus Materials
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