DVD Reviews

You Again – Blu-ray Review

By June L. Feb 25, 2011, 15:56 GMT

$You Again, the nonstop laugh fest, is pure fun that features an all-star cast with comedy pedigrees - including Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and the always outrageous Betty White. For Marnie (Bell), high school was a horror movie, and her brother\'s wedding is the sequel when her archrival comes back to haunt her as his bride. It\'s nice girl versus mean girl in this hysterical reunion with$

You Again, the nonstop laugh fest, is pure fun that features an all-star cast with comedy pedigrees - including Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and the always outrageous Betty White. For Marnie (Bell), high school was a horror movie, and her brother\'s wedding is the sequel when her archrival comes back to haunt her as his bride. It\'s nice girl versus mean girl in this hysterical reunion with ...more

Sometimes the past just won’t go away, and such is the case for Marni (Kristen Bell) - a successful public relations executive who learns that her beloved older brother is marrying her high school nemesis.

Coming home for the wedding, she has anxiety thinking it will be a nightmare, but she is not quite prepared for the one that actually happens.

High school for most was a time of insecurity, braces, acne, worrying about being too fat or too thin, wondering if you are the only one not finding love or getting grades to get into college, and that was on a good day. The terrible days, well they probably left scars on the psyche that everyone carries to their graves.

Such is the situation in high school between Marni a sweetly indeterminate and somewhat geeky student and Joanna or Jay-Jay (Odette Yustman) the most popular girl in school.

In heart wrenching scenes viewers are introduced to the characters in a flashback to 2002 in which Marni is being tortured in numerous ways by Jay-Jay and her pals. Also introduced is Marni’s brother Will (James Wolk) who encourages his little sister to believe in herself and know that someday everything will be different.

At last, the Marni of 2010 is on screen and obviously has it together as she is giving a presentation that impresses her boss. Heading home for the wedding, viewers expect adult and confident Marni to be on top of the situation, but what follows is a comedy of errors.

With a great cast Jamie Lee Curtis as Gail, Marni and Bill’s mom, and Sigourney Weaver as Ramona, Joanna’s aunt, Kristen Chenoweth as over the top wedding planner Georgia King and Betty White as Bunny, Marni’s grandmother, you would expect a lot of laughter and amazing moments. There are laughs, but there are too many moments almost too dark and mean spirited for a comedy.

These “hateful” bits leave a bad taste and make the viewer cringe at the amounts of spite and revenge being served on the best china of a good plot. Dialogue between Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis is the best in the film, and their scenes wildly ridiculous somehow seem more balanced than the all out revenge ploys of Marni and Joanna. Of course Betty White saves the day with extraordinary comedic presence, and the film ends on a positive note.

However viewers may go away with the feeling that no one lives long enough to forget what happened to them in high school.

You Again Blu-ray and DVD Combo pack is presented on two discs, with which you get all the specials from both formats. These for the most part are great fun to watch, especially those featuring Betty White.

Viewers can go on set with the director and have both serious and mock interviews with the cast. They appear to have had a great time making the movie, and the chemistry among the crew and cast is exceptional.