He’s All That is a remake of the popular 1999 romantic comedy She’s All That, but with a modern twist. After a horrible breakup, social media icon Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae) attempts to right the wrongs in her life and get her career back on track. In order to do this she plans to makeover social pariah Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan) and turn him into the prom king. He’s All That tells the story of young love, double-crosses, and life as we know it.
I’ve just seen She’s All That for the first time just a few days ago. So, knowing what I know about the original film, my expectations for this unnecessary remake were incredibly low. With my expectations so low I thought that ironically I’d be surprised. However, everything I had originally expected comes true in this, again, completely unnecessary film.
Writer of the original film, R. Lee Fleming Jr., attempts to recreate a film that had been so successful in the past, and while this film may appeal ever so slightly to some fans of the previous film, Fleming Jr. fails to find what found the previous film success. There is no chemistry between characters, the acting fails to entertain, and the story feels forced from nearly the opening moments. In addition to that, Fleming Jr. refuses to change much about He’s All That in comparison to She’s All That, leaving viewers no choice but to compare it to its predecessor--which is not a good thing.
The one thing that Fleming Jr. does choose to change is the message that He’s All That presents to its audience. The film regularly touches on the deafening, paralyzing reality of the internet and the horrific effects that it has on America’s youth. I had never expected to see an existential and relatable layer to an awkwardly absurd film about teens. The message, however, plays a major role in the entirety of the film, and I’m hoping that the teens and young adults that watch this film listen to what Fleming Jr. has to say. While this aspect of the film is incredibly important in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t change much about the film. This is the silver lining that exists within the film, but there is another aspect of the film that I enjoyed: Tanner Buchanan.
Buchanan is an everyman that exists in a world of fake, somewhat useless individuals. He exists in his own lane and is the most relatable character in all of He’s All That, and he’s a solid actor. He manages to exude emotion throughout the film, and he makes many of the most important moments in the film possible. Sadly, though, he is fighting a winless battle against the likes of Rae, Madison Pettis (Alden), and Peyton Meyer (Jordan Van Draanen). Individuals like the aforementioned bunch fought Buchanan every step of the way and, from time to time, managed to drown him out and take so much away from the intended messages, emotions, and overall entertainment. With this cast, the sustainability of this film was unlikely, and that came to fruition quite early in the film.
I don’t hate the film, even with everything I’ve just said. There are aspects of He’s All That that truly entertain, including Buchanan and the all-important message of exposure and the internet. I was hoping for something far different than She’s All That, but my instincts told me not to have high hopes, and, ultimately, I was right. I was bored from time to time, and I struggled to appreciate the majority of the cast, but there is a sliver of hope that exists in Buchanan’s talent and vigor. Fans of the original will be able to appreciate the constant allusions to that film, and if newcomers are able to latch onto one of the entertaining aspects of He’s All That they may just be entertained.
Directed by Mark Waters.
Written by R. Lee Fleming Jr.
Starring Addison Rae, Tanner Buchanan, Madison Pettis, Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Peyton Meyer, Isabella Crovetti, Annie Jacob, Myra Molloy, Kourtney Kardashian, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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