Review of Down to You (2000) by Jeremy K — 16 Jan 2004

[b][font=Verdana][size=2]DOWN TO YOU (2000).

[/b]**SPOILERS**.

[u]THE GOOD:

[/u]--There are some enjoyable moments in the film, that mostly come from when it tries to be a little bit different. I think some of the fantasy sequences were cute, like Imogen's baby nightmare and the little Man Show clip, which was actually pretty funny.

--It was surprising to see that "Down to You" doesn't COMPLETELY follow the teen romcom formula. It was good to see for once that the guy isn't the wrong doer in the relationship that causes the split. Imogen is the one who makes a mistake and quite a shocking mistake at that. I was also surprised, and quite happy, to see that the characters didn't run to each other at the airport at the end of the film and have a kiss that ended the movie. They actually spend some time apart, quite a lengthy part too. It worked nicely, though otherwise "Down to You" is formulaic.

[u]THE BAD:

[/u]--I felt nothing for the characters, and was not happy to see that the actors didn't really do much to change these uninteresting and unsympathetic people. Most of them were losers and horrible to their friends, and why the hell are they sitting around doing the things they?re doing? Why am I [i]watching[/i] these people!? And why on God's green Earth were Al's friends trying to persuade him to break up with his first love? That just sucks and I hated his friends for it. Grrr? Onto the actors? Freddie Prinze Jr is annoying as the wimpy Al. Julia Stiles (who I loved in the great "10 Things I Hate About You") is surprisingly over-the-top for the most part, though she does have her moments. I just didn't really like her character all that much and it pissed me off how Al forgave her so easily for all her mistakes. Also, Julia, you have some major talent and are a hottie! What the hell are you doing in Freddie Prinze Jr movies? Become a serious actress damnt! Selma Blair does the best she can with her character who is never paid off but ultimately tries a bit too hard to be sexy. Shawn Hatosy would have to the film's most annoying actor and character; his lame character was both pointless and majorly unfunny. I just kept wondering what the hell the talented Henry Winkler was doing here - he's majorly embarrassing his comedic career. And Ashton Kutcher? You have great comedic talent, but stop picking crap movies! What the hell are you doing in this movie, dude? Your part sucks major ass!

--I was so angry to see that "Down to You" actually had some potential, sometimes it even looked like it was gonna take a different road and be original and daring. Unfortunately it rarely takes these roads and goes off being another dumb romantic comedy. Who else would've enjoyed seeing the unique aspect of a teenage relationship being cursed by a baby? Or perhaps the hardness of being apart while your partner is away in France? I can't believe how quickly and effortlessly the previous two things I mentioned were resolved, it was obvious the writer just wanted to get to the kiss-and-make-up ending. This movie suffers from an extremely obvious case of lazy writing; it passes up good opportunities for drama in exchange for being predictable and formulaic.

--It was aggravating to say the least to see how many character clichés were used in the film. This is especially noticeable in those high school date flashback scenes. The nerdy scientist, the hypo/stoner guy and there are many more that I can't really recall because this movie just wasn't at all memorable. But I do certainly remember that there were so many completely unfunny character clichés that seriously drag the film down.

[u]RATING:

[/u]4/10 - I'll go as far as saying this movie actually had potential in parts, but it throws it away and becomes another disposable teenage romantic comedy.

[u]IF YOU LIKED THIS MOVIE I RECOMMEND:

[/u]10 Things I Hate About You (8/10).

Cruel Intentions (8/10).

Drive Me Crazy (3/10).

Just Married (5/10).

She's All That (6/10).

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