âThe DUFFâ movie review
By Megan West, Columnist
3/5
True to teen movie form, The DUFF is a witty and cheesy examination of the labelling and cyber-bullying problems of todayâs youth.
When eccentric high school senior Bianca (Mae Whitman) finds out that she is the âDUFFââshort for âdesignated ugly, fat friendââof her social group, she enlists her hunky childhood friend, Wesley (Robbie Amell), to coach her out of her awkwardness. Just as you might anticipate, they go through the movie rising above the bullies all while developing oh-so-undeniable crushes on one another.
As predictable as this movie is, I was smiling the entire time. Perhaps one of the best parts of the movie was that the jokes were well-timed, and according to a recent interview with Amell, almost entirely unscripted. I find that when a writer gives actors with great onscreen chemistry more artistic licence, the jokes are always funnier and more natural. In addition to the humour, The DUFF centres on a very important message of kindness that is especially significant following Anti-Bullying Day on February 25. At times the film got a little too corny and felt like a bad made-for-TV-movie, but it was all still very endearing.
The DUFF is not the next Mean Girls and certainly wonât go down in the history books with the teen movie greats, but it was still worth the watch. As expected, Amellâs winning smile and charm fit perfectly into what most people want in a movie like this. The one thing that this movie has that other teen comedies donât is Ken Jeong (of The Hangover), who had me choking on my popcorn in each of his scenes. Overall, anyone looking for a light-hearted comedy to see with friends or family would be wise in choosing this one and will definitely leave the theatre with a smile on their face.
