Whatever It Takes (2000)

Whatever It Takes initially seems little more than another comedy with impossibly attractive teenagers trying to get into each other's pants. Ryan (Shane West) is a bit of a geek with eyes for the school sex bomb, Ashley (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), which induces cringing in his neighbor and best friend, Maggie (Marla Sokoloff), a cute intellectual girl. But popular jock Chris (James Franco) has his eye on Maggie, and he offers to help Ryan win Ashley if Ryan will help Chris woo Maggie. So begins a two-headed variation on Cyrano de Bergerac; Ryan composes soulful e-mails for Chris, and Chris advises Ryan to treat Ashley like dirt, which seems to be the only way to get her attention.

At first, neither finds it easy to change their ways; Chris comes on too strong, and Ryan is too nervous to be a jerk. But as they start to succeed, Ryan begins to see Maggie in a new light and wonders if he's pursuing the right girl. Which could all be very standard and shallow, but as the story unfolds the movie examines staying true to yourself and finding self-worth in surprisingly trenchant and unpreachy ways. Which is not to say that Whatever It Takes is high-minded--everyone's excessively good-looking and prone to wearing tight or revealing clothing, and there's a subplot about a kid who aspires to achieve school immortality through a topnotch prank. But the movie offers more than you might expect, which sets it apart from many of the recent swarm of teen flicks. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

Teen movie

Typical Teen movie, pretty predictable. Got to say i love shane west though, thats the reason i got the movie. He does a good job. December 18, 2008

Watch it again to appreciate it

I didn't really like the smarmy guy the first time but when I saw how he contributed to the film I could appreciate him more. I love the scenes between Ryan and Maggie. They are the kind of kids you want to hang out with. Ashley is too over the top at times and not believable, i.e. the chocolate cake on the teeth scene. I go back to it and skip to the scenes with Maggie and Ryan. If you are a romantic you'll understand why. November 22, 2007

James Franco in Whatever it takes

This movie sure is a 90's teen movie. But if you like she's all that and all the other 90's teen movie you'll like it. If you like James Franco then you'll also like the movie. Its way back when he was young and there are good bouns features. January 12, 2007

2 Reasons To Get This DVD

This is your typical teen/chick flick, but it is still funny and even guys will enjoy it. But the main two reasons to get this movie: Marla Sokoloff and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe. These girls are certainly easy on the eyes and make for excellent viewing. Collin Hanks also makes what I think is his movie debut in this film. October 22, 2005

Slightly Better than Average Teen Exploitation Moview

It's a teen exploitation movie. That means you already know the plot. Gut has hots for girl and is willing to do "whatever it takes" to get her, even be incredibly stupid. That's what the genre is all about so people should not be surprised when that happens. In essence, guys, especially young ones, tend to do hilarious things to satisfy their...desires. This movie goes a step better.

Synopsis: one of the school geeks is infatuated by the head cheerleader but lives next door to the proverbial "beautiful girl next door". A cousin of the head cheerleader, a jock, wants to add the "girl next door" to his scorecard. The two guys get togther to make each other's fantasies come true. Along the way, the "nice ones" learn important lessons and the "not so nice" ones get their comeuppance. Its as predictable as the sunset. It's still funny.

Where this movie does its best is in the way it charactures the popular people. They are usually depicted as shallow and vapid. They still are but are taken to new heights of idiocy. It's fun to see them get taken down a peg by some nice kids who find each other.

Don't expect any education from this film. Its strictly for laughs. Its not the best but it is certainly entertaining. May 4, 2005

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