The Perfect Score Movie Review:


Back in the 1980s, a certain movie writer and mogul revolutionized comedies for a whole new generation with movies like “Sixteen Candles”, “Weird Science”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation”. His name was John Hughes and he became one of the most successful feature film comedy writers of all time. His films are loved today and it truly is amazing how much of the Hughes flavor is within the new comedy, “The Perfect Score”.

Like the classic Hughes film, “The Breakfast Club” we are introduced to the different sides of the teenage personality. The diverse range of high-school seniors which include Kyle (Chris Evans), Anna (Erika Christensen), Francesca (Scarlett Johansson), Matt (Bryan Greenberg), Roy (Leonardo Nam) and Desmond (Darius Miles) concoct a scheme to steal the answers for their SAT placement exams. Each has been wronged by the test and they decide their futures are in jeopardy if drastic measures aren’t taken. How can a number justify if you go to Harvard or community college?

The film has a simple plot but it’s the characters and their interactions that made me think of so many of those classic Hughes films. Like “The Breakfast Club” that really had a basic plot of 5 diverse teenagers are forced to spend a day of detention together, “Score” looks past the simple plot and more on what makes each teen tick. It is that simplicity and belief in the characters that made those films classic. The same is true here. I truly believe that this film fits that undeniable mold. And trust me, that isn’t a bad thing.

Housed within each of these characters we see a side of the teenage mind and their rebellious struggle we have been watching for decades on screen. We all cheered for “Ferris Bueller” or “Clark Griswold” as they bent the rules to accomplish their goals. And the same is here as we find that we want these kids to succeed.

I loved the spirit and sensibility that these characters had. I also loved how they connected with each other.

I also really liked the performance from Chris Evans who really felt like a vintage John Hughes character. I also loved the humor from Leonardo Nam, who plays stoner Roy. Nam’s humor and craziness as Roy was utterly hysterical. I loved that character even if he did partially remind me of a Kevin Smith creation.

The only real thing missing from this movie was probably an arch-nemesis. There was always a stuffy or strict older person who wanted to mess up the plans of the rebellious teens. In “Breakfast Club” you had Paul Gleason’s Principal Vernon and in “Ferris Bueller” you had Jeffrey Jones’s classic evil Principal Ed Rooney. The film really needed that to make the heist more insane and delightful. I almost thought that was going to happen when I saw that Francesca’s dad was Fulvio Cecere of TV’s new series “Tarzan”. Cecere could have been a perfect villain. This whole angle could have also fleshed Francesca even more. It is too bad that wasn’t explored further.

All in all, “The Perfect Score” is a surprise and I think people who enjoyed some of the classic Hughes teen comedies like “Ferris Bueller”, “Weird Science” and “The Breakfast Club” will revel at the memories housed in this film.

If Hughes directed a “heist” comedy this is exactly what it would have been like.

(3.5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

The SAT exam is almost what every high school senior must master with the intentions of continuing their education. In The Perfect Score, the
frustrations and significance of the SAT, also known as "Suck Ass Test," revolve around six seniors that each need to pass the exam for their own reasons or intentions. Kyle (Chris Evans) has dreams of attending an Ivy League school for architecture, but his SAT scores are keeping his application in limbo. Matty (Bryan Greenberg) needs to pass the test so he can attend the University of Maryland and be reunited with his girlfriend. Desmond (Darius Miles) is a phenom basketball player that needs to pass the test so he can attend St. John’s
University as well as please his mom. Anna (Traffic’s Erika Christensen) has the second highest grade point average in her senior class, but can not conquer the SAT.

Kyle and Matt eventually come up with a plan to steal the answers of the SAT from a company that designs and implements the test. The key to their
plan relies in the hands of the outspoken Francesca (Lost in Translation’s Scarlett Johansson), who has access to the building, due to her father being the
owner. A stoner Roy (Leonardo Nam) joins the crew for comic relief and as the master plan is implemented, each student learns more about themselves than first realized.

The Perfect Score is a typical teen-comedy that has a few chuckles, but comes nowhere close to being amusing. The whole concept of the six students stealing the scores becomes way too easy for the characters, such as the
building where the test is designed just happens to be in the same city. The film tries to take many turns to become stressful, but none of the characters are so likable that audiences’ will be routing for them to actually commit a crime.

Director Brian Robbins is no stranger to films of this genre, he previously directed the somewhat enjoyable Varsity Blues, but The Perfect Score
strives to be a blend of the current character driven heist films (The Italian Job, Confidence) as well as a teen comedy. The collaboration by Robbins never
really gels, and the film’s story and jokes become more tiresome than actually enjoyable. There are also two incidents in the film where the top of a boom microphone can be seen, which is always a sign of lazy editing and production values for a film.

Mark Schwahan and Marc Hyman & Jon Zack wrote the film . Being full of horrendous dialogue and flat characters, the outcome of the film comes nowhere near surprising or fresh. The concept is something that could have been witty, perhaps even a little darker, but the jokes are nearly slapstick intended and the obstacles for the characters are just too easily dealt with. Like the character of Roy, who is a stoner and narrator of the story that is the same Dazed and Confused wanna-be character that audiences have seem time and time again. The writers also try to add tiny tidbits to give each of the characters parallels and depth, such as the mother backstories for Roy and Desmond, which
rather falters than intrigues.

Scarlett Johansson is a beautiful and talented young actress that took this role as Francesca probably as break away from her recently aggressive work ( Lost in Translation and Girl with A Pearl Earring). Johansson is spunky as the anarchy driven student that also has issues with her womanizing father. With her bold eyes and seductive lips, Johansson is at times the only watchable aspect of The Perfect Score. Erika Christensen, who was so brilliant as Michael Douglas’ drug-addicted daughter in Traffic, is a bright presence as the intelligent Anna, but does not have much to work with her character. Chris Evans and Bryan Greenberg are pure eye candy as the two high school buddies, Kyle and Matty, who come up with the perfect plan. The NBA’s Darius Miles makes his film debut as the basketball star Desmond Rhodes. Miles’ acting inexperience
is very obvious as he continuously struggles with the delivery of his lines. Lastly, as Roy, Leonardo Nam is over the top and annoying in a role that has
been seen time and time again.

The Perfect Score may interest a few high school students or anyone that has had fits with the SAT, which is as difficult as this film depicts.


However, the overall production is poor and stale, with nothing fresh to offer.

Grade: D+

Joseph C. Tucker

This "Breakfast Club meets Mission Impossible" caper has a strong cast and an intriguing premise, both of which are lost in weak writing and direction. It's not as if we expect much from director Robbins (Hard Ball, Varsity Blues), but these up-and-coming young actors should've spotted this dud script from a mile off.

The plot centres on mismatched students united by one thing: their desperation to get good marks on the dreaded SAT exam. We have the smart guy (Not Another Teen Movie's Evans), the good-time boy (One Tree Hill's Greenberg), the class brain (Swimfan's Christensen), the rebellious rich girl (shooting-star Johansson), the promising jock (Van Wilder's Miles) and the stoner geek (Nobody's Perfect's Nam). Each needs a high score to get into their chosen university, so they join together to raid the SAT offices and get the test answers. Conveniently, the offices are right in their hometown!

Exams like the SAT raise questions about racial and economic justice, as well as the idea that a single test can make or break a young person's life. But this film only throws those concerns around briefly before getting into the wacky business of mixing up high school social groups and trying to sneak off with the answers. The main problem is that the film is so toothless that we know it will never even remotely deal with the issues it raises. So when it even cops out on its own plot in the end, we're not remotely surprised.

Fortunately, the cast is watchable. Even when delivering trite dialog, Johansson and Christensen command the screen, adding just a bit of subtext to their characters. And the guys keep up with them adequately; although side characters like Lillard's goofy big brother and a trio of pushy mothers (Ferrell, Quinn and Boyd) are a bit overdone. The main problem is Robbins' refusal to treat any theme with any depth at all--even the two romantic subplots are superficial. So in the end it's just another forgettable teen caper movie.

Rich Cline

The SATs are the most important examination in any young American’s life. This standardised test will decide how the rest of your life will turn out. Whether it be getting into the college of your dreams, heading to the NBA, living up to your parents expectations or just getting into the same college as your girlfriend, your SAT score will determine if you will ever attain these goals. Kyle (Evans), Matty (Greenberg), Francesca (Johansson), Anna (Christensen), Desmond (Miles) and Roy (Nam) are not going to take any chances on their dreams however as they plan break into the Princeton Testing Centre and steal the answers.

If you cross the Breakfast Club with Mission Impossible and you get what the filmmakers were trying to achieve with The Perfect Score. However they came up quite a few marks short.

The idea of a group of mismatched high school students coming together to plan an elaborate scheme to steal exam papers is hardly original but this movie has one saving grace, the actors. In Scarlett Johansson and Erika Christensen you have two of the best young actresses working in the business at the moment. While neither of their roles are hardly the most challenging they will ever have, they bring that little bit extra to the characters making the movie all that more watchable.

The rest of the actors are quite watchable as well. Leonardo Nam is good as the narrator and comic relief as druggie, nerd Roy. He has most of the comedic moments in the movie and turns into quite a likeable character. Chris Evans and Bryan Greenberg as Kyle and Matty bring nothing new to the genre as they just look like clones of every other American teen star but they are watchable all the same. Darius Miles is good as Desmond but it would be nice to see an Africa-American character wanting to get on academically instead of just via sports. There is also a funny cameo role for Matthew Lillard as Kyle waster bother Larry.

This is an MTV Movies production and you can really tell. The character introductions feel more like an episode of “The Real World” or “Cribs” and the fast cuts and constant use of music are just there to cater for the key demographic the movie is aimed at. This isn’t a bad thing but it takes away any original look the movie might have been trying to achieve.

The Perfect Score is an average teen comedy adventure that only really stands out due to presence of Erika Christensen and Scarlett Johansson. Quite enjoyable in places but not enough to be at all memorable after the credits roll, The Perfect Score falls well short of that accolade.

Star Rating = * *

Jamie Kelwick

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