“John Tucker Must Die” (20th Century Fox)
A Lively Cast Helps Make this Movie Better Than It Should Be
Jesse Metcalf, Ashanti, Sophia Bush, Arielle Kebbel and Brittany Snow join forces to make the new teenage comedy “John Ticker Must Die” better than it has any right to be. The plot about one high school hunk keeping three school beauties on the line is pedestrian even before it gets started. Still the familiarity of Metcalf from “Desperate Housewives” and the beauty and brains of the young actresses make this more of a crowd pleaser than would be expected.
John Tucker (Metcalf) is the big man at his high school. He is captain of the basketball team and he has looks and charm to boot. Kate (Snow) is a new girl at his school and she keenly observes him romancing three different girls. She watches in the high school hall as he drops by to pay attention to Heather (Ashanti) the captain of the cheerleading squad; then moves on to Beth (Bush) the school vegan; and finishes up with Carrie (Kebbel), the school reporter.
When it finally dawns on the three girls what John Tucker is doing, they plot their revenge. They pick Katie to be the weapon of his destruction. They will make her a combination of all three girls and as such, irresistible to John. Once he falls for her she will dump him and he will be humiliated.
As you can see it is not much of a plot, but the young actors give it their all and lift it to a higher level. Metcalf is fine as long as all he has to be is good looking and suave. When he is required to do some comic acting then things get a little rough. Ashanti however is strong in the looks and the comic acting arena. She also has a sassiness that is perfect for her role.
Bush and Kebbel are also good as they create plots for Tucker’s destruction, and then put them in motion. Snow is a standout as Katie, the means of John’s demise (figuratively). She is a bright, energetic young actress who radiates wholesomeness with a sexy touch.
Jenny McCarthy has a cameo as Katie’s mother. McCarthy as the mother of a teenager – does that make you feel old or what!
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations.
As teen comedies go, “John Tucker Must Die” isn’t half bad. It might not appeal to a broad audience but for the one for which it is aimed, it hits the target.
I scored “John Tucker Must Die” a deadly 5 out of 10.
