Featured DVD Review: Get Over It

May 21, 2012

Get Over It - Buy from Amazon

High school comedies are a rather common genre in movies. They are rarely major hits, but because they are limited in scale, don't have expensive special effects, and hire up-and-coming actors instead of A-listers, they usually cost a fraction of what the average film costs. Some of these films can become lasting parts of the movie culture. Other times they are forgotten. Get Over It is mostly forgotten. Does it deserve this fate? Or should fans of the genre give it a try, now that it is coming out on a bargain DVD?

The Movie

The first thing to note about this film is that it is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, so the plot is predictable if you are familiar with that play. Truth be told, it's predictable even if you are not.

The film begins with Berke Landers describing Allison to us. Allison was his first love, even though they were only seven years old at the time. When she moved away with her family, he thought they were destined to meet again. He was right. One day her family moves back and when they see each other for the first time, they are instantly in love. The romance is perfect and he thinks it will last forever. This time he's wrong.

Berke tries to get over this breakup first by asking his parents, who are relationship gurus on TV, but when they don't help, he goes out to a club with his friends, Dennis and Felix. Felix points out that there are a lot of other hot women in the club and any of them would be perfect as a rebound. Although he does limit that after he sees his younger sister, Kelly, is there with her friend, Basin. Allison is also at the club with her friend, Maggie, and she's in a bit of a panic about running into him. Her concerns disappear when she runs into Striker, whom we later learn is the new guy in school. He's from Britain, where he was the member of a boy band, and he asks Allison out after they kiss on the dance floor.

Berke is devastated when he sees them kiss, but he is still determined to get back together. His first attempt, serenading her, doesn't work because he can't sing. He really can't sing. His second attempt falls into place when Allison gets the lead in A Midsummer Night's Rockin' Eve, a modern adaption of the Shakespeare play written by Dr. Desmond Forrest Oates, the possibly insane school theater director. He immediately decides to audition for the musical, despite the fact that he can't sing... or act. He doesn't get the lead, that goes to the school's super star, Peter Wong, but he does get a supporting character role. At least he had a supporting role until he and Striker get into it backstage and after a nun-chuck accident, Peter Wong is incapacitated and unable to perform. Now Berke is thrust into the spotlight, but he will need an acting and singing coach to help him. Fortunately, that's where Kelly comes into the picture. After long hours rehearsing with Kelly, Berke begins to question his feelings for Allison and thinks he might be developing feelings for Kelly. Now the love triangle has become a love tetrahedron.

You can probably guess what happens next. The most clever part of the film is how the action in the movie mirrors the plot of the musical the kids are performing. That said, predictability is not a fatal flaw for a romantic comedy and fans of the genre expect this. Instead, these films have to rely on their charm and the chemistry of the cast. In that regard, Get Over It is mostly a success. The film has an amazing cast of young actors, many of whom went on to a lot of success. Ben Foster, Kirsten Dunst, and Mila Kunis were all in Awards Season contenders over the past two years, while Zoe Saldana added $1 billion to her career box office in 2009 alone. There is a high level of quirkiness in the movie, some of which works (the opening credits song and dance number) and some of it doesn't (Berke's date with the accident prone Dora Lynn Tisdale (Kylie Bax)). There are also more than a few scenes that seem superfluous, or at the very least, scenes that are just there for a joke or two with no lasting impact on the plot. This does give the film an episodic feel to it, but again, this is a forgivable flaw thanks to the charm and chemistry of the class.

The Extras

There are no extras on the DVD. The previous release did have an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and music videos, so it wasn't completed loaded either.

The Verdict

Overall, Get Over It is certainly better than a lot of similar movies that were bigger hits at the box office. If you are a fan of the genre, then it is worth picking up. The DVD has no extras, but it is hard to argue with its $7 pricetag.


- Submitted by:

Filed under: Video Review, Get Over It