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

Warning!!! Rated R not PG-13!

I had rented this movie & as I was about to play it, I noticed on the dvd where the rating was, it said "R"! Total ripoff! January 7, 2009

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 11, 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

More reviews at Amazon.com ...