The DUFF
February. 20,2015 PG-13Bianca's universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Hoping to erase that label, she enlists the help of a charming jock and her favorite teacher. Together they'll face the school's mean girl and remind everyone that we are all someone's DUFF… and that's totally fine.
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Reviews
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
In terms of high school movies, this movie is the DUFF. There are more attractive, interesting, exciting, less predictable, and better told stories out there. That said, I liked this charming little rom-com quite a lot, and had it been the only one of its kind then this easily could have been a strong 8. It's funny, it's cute, and it's got a lot to like.But then, the negatives: there's not a single original thing in this movie. It's just so utterly derivative of all the mean-girls / rom-coms in existence it's practically textbook stuff. There's just nothing new here, and in fact it's all just one rom-com trope after another, which doesn't sit that well with me.Sure there's the cyber bullying issue, but it's basically glossed over in the most superficial way as to make really no difference to the movie. But if you're willing to overlook the fact that it's taken all the best bits from all the other movies of its ilk, then this is actually a surprisingly heartwarming little movie. I was incredibly disappointed with the ending, but I guess that it was inevitable from the very start. I should have known better than to expect anything else from this kind of movie.6/10. Could do better. The two leads are great, in fact the entire cast is great. Ultimately, I guess when you're buying bubblegum you expect to get bubblegum, and that's exactly what you're getting here. The DUFF needs a few original ideas, but overall, watchable on a rainy day.
Described as "the 'Mean Girls' of this generation" on the Blu-ray back cover, 'The DUFF' is not nearly as fresh and quick-witted as Tiny Fey's iconic high school comedy, but it is fairly decent for what it is. The plot has a teenage social misfit discovering that everyone thinks of her as a "designated ugly fat friend" to her two more traditionally attractive best friends, which prompts her to try to climb up the social ladder at school. The film gets off to a very good start, full of witty narration by lead actress Mae Whitman whose spunky, highly individualistic personality lights up the first few scenes. The less said about the rest of the young actors, the better though, with Bella Thorne in particular paling against Rachel McAdams who played a very similar character in 'Mean Girls', though to be fair, her role in the narrative is quite limited. Curiously enough, the same can be said for those in the adult roles too. Ken Jeong had one of the most fun oddball roles in the TV show 'Community', but here he has little to do other than occasionally banter with Whitman as her favourite teacher. Allison Janney likewise has some funny moments as Whitman's free spirited mother, but her references to 'This is Spinal Tap' and unexpected swearing bits are few and far between. Whatever the case, the film almost works as 'My Fair Lady' variant with Whitman making a deal with her next door neighbour to help her transform, however, the romantic tension to come between the pair is telegraphed from so early on that it becomes a distraction to Whitman's quest to fit in. The film is at least energetic and zany enough (with a ton of social media plugs) that there is never a boring moment to be had. The end credits are especially well done.
The DUFF is a typical teen movie! If you are looking for a funny and easy movie to watch it with your friends, The DUFF will be a good choice! It is about an "ugly" girl Bianca (of course she is not really ugly) who finds out that she is a DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). So the easiest person to talk with, if someone needs information about her more beautiful friends. Her neighbor, the handsome and popular Wesley, helps her to become as pretty as her friends. SPOILER Like in every teen movie the boy sees the real beauty of the girl and they fall in love with each other. In between there are some romantic, funny and also serious scenes.All in all I really liked the movie, because we need sometimes a romantic movie to show that everyone is beautiful in their own way.
And just appreciate it for what it was...an underrated comedy. I keep reading everyone comparing it to "She's All That". While I understand the comparison, if you want to get technical (and I'm not trying to), "She's All That" had traces of "Angus" in it. Everyone thinks they're Gene Siskel and wants to trash a movie, so they can feed their elitist mentality and convince themselves that they should be a critic for their neighborhood paper. Truth be told, I'm angry I didn't pay to see this...it was highly entertaining. My wife asked me to watch it, and I didn't know what to expect at all...I never even seen a trailer for it. I thought it would be more of a "girly" movie, but it was a lot funnier than I expect. If any fellas are on the fence about this movie, I assure you that you'll enjoy it more than you think.