This movie centers on a high school production of Shakespeare, offering an upbeat and original teen comedy with a strong sense of teamwork and a distinctive visual style reminiscent of the 1960s. A student (Ben Foster) attempts to recapture his former girlfriend’s affection by participating in the school play, despite having no experience onstage. The musical adaptation of *A Midsummer Night's Dream* becomes complicated when he encounters his best friend’s sister (Kirsten Dunst) and has to navigate the eccentricities of the drama instructor (Martin Short). The jokes, largely delivered by Short’s character, come at such a rapid pace that I felt like multiple viewings would be needed to fully appreciate them all. What's good is that it avoids the excessive raunchiness found in movies like “American Pie,” maintaining a certain level of sophistication. Mila Kunis has a small part, but she didn’t particularly impress me, and neither did Dunst or Sagemiller, though they are pleasant enough to watch. Jeanie Calleja stands out as Jessica, the drama teacher's assistant, and there are several other female characters who deserve recognition. Kylie Bax makes an appearance in a funny cameo, and Carmen Electra has a brief role as well. Martin Short essentially drives the film with his exaggerated personality; additionally, Colin Hanks and Sisqó are enjoyable as the main character’s friends, while Shane West is believable as the antagonist. It brought to mind the school play featured in “Dead Poets Society,” but what if that entire scene was expanded into a full movie, filled with clever writing and a brisk tempo? That's essentially what this film provides. It took me some time to adjust to its unusual nature, but I ultimately enjoyed it quite a bit. The runtime is 1 hour and 26 minutes, and filming occurred in Ontario, specifically Mississauga (Port Credit) and Toronto. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB