Review by Robert Waldman

Boys will be boys. Girls will be girls. So the old saying goes. Never the twain shall meet-unless you're Rob Schneider in an Adam Sandler movie. Expect lots of laughs in The Hot Chick, a hilarious politically incorrect new laugh-fest from Touchstone Pictures now making folks giddy at Famous Players Theatres around BC.

From the past to the present, we first get a taste of what's about to unfold. Apparently some ancient biblical ritual saw a bride-to-be make a special switch at the altar just before the I dos. Unwilling to marry a cad, the woman unleashed some tribal hocus pocus that allowed a slave to take her place -- knowingly. Somehow this same "curse" gets unleashed in the modern world when a truly "bitchy" girl comes face-to-face with her alter-ego, a two-bit, unshaven criminal wannabe.

On the surface, Jessica seems to have it all. The darling of the Bridgetown grade twelve set, she has her own flock of followers who simply delight in all her rude tactics. Nothing it too low for this hot babe to stoop to as she uses her natural charm and uppity attitude to wreck havoc on the also-rans -- the poor slobs of the world. Madly in love with football quarterback Billy and the arch rival of opposition cheerleader captain Bianca, Jessica lives lavishly in suburban splendour. Ms. Perfect comes from a loving (?) two-parent family, complete with a younger brother named Bugger. So becoming prom-queen seems a foregone conclusion and the surest bet imaginable. Little does she know that her uncaring attitude and evil put-downs will come back to haunt her -- big time.

One day, a serious role reversal occurs when Jessica awakes to find her body has changed. Now she is a man. Not just any man, mind you, but an unkempt slob. Inside this once sexy body now rests the outer appearance of one jerky mickey-mouse criminal called Clive.

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and only skin deep as Jessica on the outside takes on Clive's unkempt appearance and her gorgeous body gets transformed into Clive. Neither people are happy but they try to make the best of a bad situation.

Jessica's friends and family must adjust to her new outer appearance with best buddy April playing a clutch player, trying to reconcile her best friend's new "male" habits. Political correctness goes out the window as Jessica seems bent on getting her former body back -- at all costs.

Nice guy comic Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo) perfectly plays all these zany characters we've come to love and again delivers a complex performance as a girl's mind trapped in a man's body. Rachel McAdams (Sugar & Spice) turns more than a few heads as the real Jessica, and she's terrific with her catty attitude that you love to hate. True friendship gets revealed by Anna Faris (Scary Movie 2) who comes through in the clutch as Jessica's best pal.

Nice-guy comic Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo) perfectly plays all these zany characters we've come to love and again delivers a complex performance as a girl's mind trapped in a man's body. Rachel McAdams (Sugar & Spice) turns more than a few heads as the real Jessica, and she's terrific with her catty attitude that you love to hate. True friendship gets revealed by Anna Faris (Scary Movie 2) who comes through in the clutch as Jessica's best pal.

Boyfriend-with-issues Billy delightfully tries to sort out his mixed-up love life as presented by Matthew Lawrence (Mrs. Doubtfire) with just the right degree of nervous uptightness benefiting a prospective prom king. Completing this talent-laden youthful cast is veteran actor Robert Davi (License To Kill) who sheds his tough-guy image to play a caring (?) dad.

Numerous funny characters and some zany situations make The Hot Chick a nice diversion at the movies. Having a moral to the story shows just how talented -- yes, talented -- the Adam Sandler creative team has become -- simply at the top of their game. Natural talent from the likes of leading man Rob Schneider only serve to add fuel to this comedic cannon.

See evalu8.org's other film reviews and previews.