You Again

This broad comedy stars Kristen Bell as Marni, the girl who spent her teenage years in acne-covered awkwardness and got bullied by the popular girls at school, specifically by the beautiful and cruel Joanna (Odette Yustman).  But all that's changed now, as Marni is no longer an ugly duckling (gone are the glasses, braces, and bangs) and is a successful executive at her PR firm.  When she gets the news that her older brother is getting married, Marni can't wait to go home and meet her future sister-in-law... until she realizes that her brother's bride-to-be is none other than the queen bee from her torturous past.  Marni becomes determined to expose Joanna's true nature at any cost, with disastrous consequences.  The insipid plot relies heavily on over-the-top situations for laughs, which come off as forced and unimaginative.  From the ridiculous way that Marni ends up looking like her high-school self again, to an embarrassing scene during a pre-wedding dance lesson, the film is rife with preposterous scenarios that exist solely to humiliate the characters.  By the time Marni exacts her revenge on the evil Joanna, I was horrified at the deplorable lows she had to stoop to in order to reveal the truth and wondered who the real villain was.  Meanwhile, Joanna's growth of a conscience is laughable at best, and Yustman's one-note and stiff portrayal of her leaves much to be desired.  It really is a shame that such an amazing cast of supporting actors (Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, Betty White, Victor Garber, and the always resplendent Kristin Chenoweth) is wasted on such a derivative piece of drivel.  The only real laughs come from Weaver who, as Joanna's rich and successful aunt, somehow manages to improve upon a thankless role.  You Again is that most annoying and unfortunate type of comedy that tries to latch onto the most basic form of humor... and still manages to fall flat on its face.


1 out of 5 stars