| THE LIZZIE MCGUIRE MOVIE |
 2003
- USA
Director: Jim Fall - Reviewed by Vickie 
Okay, before you scoff at 6 slices for a movie based on a
Saturday-morning show for tweens, let me just point out that the film
is intended as nothing more than a fun bit of fluff and it totally
lives up to that promise. This isn’t Chekov, but it’s a nice little
comedy for the under-13 set.
In this big-screen adventure, quirky junior-high grad Lizzie (Hilary Duff) and her classmates head to Italy for a two-week learning vacation in Rome. Led by the gruff (and hilarious) Miss Ungermeyer (MADTV alum Alex Borstein), Lizzie, best pal Gordo (Adam Lamburg) and nemesis Kate (Ashlie Brillault) prepare to take in the sights and sounds of the eternal city. But before they can toss their first coin into the Trevi Fountain, Lizzie is mistaken for an Italian pop star named Isabella by the chanteuse’s erstwhile hunky singing partner, Paolo (Yani Gellman). The mistaken identity leads the accident-prone American teen on a cute, colorful, musical, cinematic ride as she assumes the role of her more-famous look-alike. Having never watched an episode of "Lizzie McGuire" in my life, I was a little lost at who was who and what the various characters interpersonal relationships were, but that cleared up fairly quickly. Hilary Duff has an inexplicable charm and I actually found myself smiling throughout much of the film. The story played out like a typical teen romance, only much more chaste than many of the other celluloid offerings for that demographic. There’s no swearing, no violence (beyond a few slapstick-y moments) and everything has a distinct syrupy quality that made for a surprisingly refreshing change. My only criticism would be the endless montage sequences and travelogue shots of Italy, but it’s a minor criticism. We get it, they’re in Italy. It’s pretty there. Lizzie likes changing clothes. A lot. After the first few sequences, I was ready for things to keep moving at a better pace. But overall, it’s just plain, good-ole Disney fun with a boppy soundtrack to boot. |
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