What a Girl Wants (2003)

Sadly Over-hyped

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It has always been just Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) and her mom Libby (Kelly Preston) in their tiny NY apartment above a restaurant in Chinatown. She always tells her about her father Henry Dashwood (Colin Firth) whose British aristocratic family did not approve. The 17 year old runs off to London to find his dad and possibly a missing piece in her life. He's abandoning his seat in the House of Lords to run for office. He's a rising political star and getting married to Glynnis Payne (Anna Chancellor), the daughter of his adviser Alistair Payne (Jonathan Pryce) and mother to Clarissa Payne (Christina Cole).It's a standard premise and not particularly well done. Amanda Bynes is suitably adorable and sweet. She's at her bumbling bubbly best. Colin Firth is terribly stiff and oddly weak-minded. It's a stock character that keeps him from developing real chemistry. It's a teen girl fantasy with a dud prince charming. There's even the evil 'step-mother' and 'step-sister'. It's a silly movie that doesn't really work.

What a guy doesn't want, is to watch this film more than once. Is it an all-time baddie? No it is not, but it certainly is not good either. I have read some reviews saying how bad the English look? Trust me, the English Actors Colin Firth ( Lord Henry Dashwood), Eileen Atkins (His mother Jocelyn), and Jonathan Pryce (Alistair Payne), come out best. Spoilers: The best part is when Dashwood finds out the truth about his Daughter Daphne (Amanda Byrnes), and how Alistar broke up the relationship between him, and her mother (Kelly Preston), for political reasons, and punches his lights out. I have read how Ms. Byrnes is a wild child, drinking and going around like another party animal... Lindsay Lohan. Here is the thing, Lohan can't act, but her performance in "The Parent Trap" remake is Oscar material compared to Byrnes in this film. If you have seen both films, and the similar plots (The girl (or girls) searching out a long-lost relative, and parents getting married all over again) you will know what I mean. In fact, it was so Disney like, I thought it was done by Disney, not Warner Brothers. I give it 3 of 10 stars (Mostly for Firth).

OK how many times have we got a movie where a guy is a mommies boy and no one is right for their precious son well this is part of this movie which stars Amanda Bynes. The story is about a girl named Daphne(Bynes)who tracks down her father who turns out to be a Democrat in London England. So she decides to go to London to see him as he apparently left Daphne's mom(well I tell ya later in the review). Her biological father never knew he had a daughter who is now engaged to some woman who is a right pain and her spoilt daughter who is quite posh.As he Henry(Bridget Jones's diary Colin Firth)and Daphne spend some quality time together he realizes what he was missing out on for the past 16 years. I liked the film even though its a bit boring in some places but still I liked the story as it was a Cinderella type tale.6/10

Fascinating to read through the comments on this film. Both extremes - loved it or hated it, and a lot of liked it in the middle. Definitely not a critically acclaimed movie. Ratings guides will typically give it only 1-1/2 stars out of 4. However, on MY scale, a movie rates well if I enjoy it, and especially so if I enjoy watching it repeatedly. Based on that, this movie is up there! Amanda Bynes is cute and likable, Colin Firth and Kelly Preston are perfect, and Oliver James is a a delight. Yes, it's predictable, yes it's a formula romance, BUT, who cares? Every movie doesn't have to be cutting edge and innovative. (I enjoy that, but definitely NOT all the time. Sometimes you just want to watch something nice). Every scene isn't perfect, but there are some real gems (not listed, in order to avoid spoilers). Just watch and enjoy! (P.S. the DVD extras are fun and interesting, too).