What a Girl Wants (2003)

Released in 2003, "What a Girl Wants" stars Amanda Bynes as a 17 year-old who travels to London to meet the father she never knew (Colin Firth). He's of royal blood and has great political aspirations, but his long lost daughter's arrival puts a wrench in the situation. Kelly Preston plays her mother while Anna Chancellor & Christina Cole play the mother/daughter vying for her father's attention in London. Oliver James is on hand as her potential boyfriend and Eileen Atkins has a significant role as the girl's grandmother.It's amazing how easily Amanda carries this film when she was only 16 years-old. She's fun and has a cute face, but a body that hasn't really developed yet. Christina Cole is effective as her nemesis and Firth is a quality protagonist. The subtext about how stuffy "high society" Brits need to loosen up with their rigid class consciousness is great, but I found myself generally bored by the proceedings, especially by the time the third act rolled around. The movie's solid entertainment, but it didn't do much for me; maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for a film like this. That said, if you're a fan of Bynes or looking for a fun teen adventure flick "What a Girl Wants" should fill the bill. However, I prefer 2005's "Love Wrecked;" it's simply a more entertaining Bynes' movie. The film runs 105 minutes and was shot in the greater London area with the opening act in New York City. GRADE: C+

What a Girl Wants (2003): Dir: Dennie Gordon / Cast: Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver James: Recycled teen family film about the importance of good adult role models. Amanda Bynes stars as a girl who longs to see her father who has been absent for seventeen years. She works as a caterer at a banquet her mother sings at. She tells of how her father got into British politics and how she was secretly sent away by his officials. What follows is pure formula as Bynes shows up to meet her father. He is bewildered and overwhelmed while his current fiancé and stepdaughter would prefer that she left. The main joke is that her lifestyle clashes with their culture. An improvement for director Dennie Gordon after making the pathetic The Adventures of Joe Dirt but it is not much of one. Bynes is an absolute delight and holds strong despite predictable developments. Colin Firth as her father is given a good back story before being subdued with standard material that concludes with him learning the truth. Flat supporting roles by Kelly Preston as Bynes's mother, and Jonathan Pryce as one of the corrupt officials. Oliver James plays her romantic interest and he has less personality than a plastic Ken doll. What a girls wants is what everyone needs, and in this case it would be to star in a film of much higher potential than this paper thin charade. Score: 3 ½ / 10

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).

I was prepared to hate this movie because of Amanda Bynes and her awful Nickelodeon show. However, I gave it a watch and I actually liked it. Colin Firth did an excellent job as the English Politician. It's not as bad as people say it is, they probably hate it because they think it will be like the Amanda show which it is not. I think teens can probably relate to how Daphne (Bynes) feels when she does not have her dad. I felt like it was a bit like the Princess Diaries. I would not say i loved it but it is one good movie. I recommend it to teens because they will appreciate this sort of movie more. Overall, not bad some parts were very sad and some very funny. A good movie.