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Everything seems to be perfect with the gorgeous high school cheerleader Jessica (Rachel
McAdams). She's pretty, popular and her boyfriend Billy (Matthew Lawrence) is head-over-heels
in love with her. Jessica enjoys her pretty girl stature very much to the point of being
an overly naughty, superficial, and snotty prima donna.
Much to her surprise and disgust, she wakes up one morning in the body of a balding, homely 30-year-old man Clive (Rob Schneider) who happens to be a small-time crook. Jessica is clueless that it is actually a supernatural body-switch as a result of a pair of magic earrings. Rattled and confused, she tries to live with her impossible (almost life-altering) situation as she figures out why this happened and how she can return to being a teenage girl.
Amidst life's serious problems and tensions, The Hot Chick is a good release for the audience
is assured of a hard laugh in almost every part of the movie.
The debuting director Tom Brady is able to give a new outlook on such overused premise as a body-shift comedy with his fast-paced upbeat style. Rob Schneider (the half-Filipino comedian) renders another hilarious yet astonishingly convincing portrayal as a woman-trapped-in-a man's-body-in-a dress. Although the film almost falls into the trap of being crass and vulgar, the outrageous gags and novel punch lines are able to outdo such minimal lapses making the film a real funny treat.
The Hot Chick is such an amusing film but not without moral values to boot. The entire
movie centers on the evolution of Jessica's character from the snooty, unpleasant and proud teenage cheerleader to a sympathetic, caring and loving daughter and friend.
There is also a strong message on a friendship that endures forever and a genuine love that goes beyond physical attraction. But in spite of these positive messages and the hard laughs, one cannot overlook some offensive scenes that reflect a certain level of vulgarity and stereotyping, like the running gag with a black teenager's Korean mother and some homoerotic situations that might distort and mislead some of the audience's values. The crude sexual humor, some vulgar language, drug references and racial stereotyping may also offend the sensibilities of very young audiences.
(Date reviewed: January 24, 2003)
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