Cute, Fun Entertainment.

Rating: 7/10 (24 December 2000)

1999 was a year for dumb-ass teen films. Fortunately, 10 Things I Hate About You wasn't one of them, I, surprisingly, largely enjoyed this film.

10 Things I Hate About You focuses on cute, affluent sisters Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and Katarina (Julia Stiles), the former as sweet and popular as the latter is mean-spirited and sulky. Their dad (Larry Miller) has imposed a house rule that Bianca can't start dating until her older sis does - not the best news for besotted Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). In order to win the saccharine sophomore, he plots to find someone willing to date Kat - the ideal candidate being loner-with-past Patrick Verona (Aussie newcomer Heath Ledger) - and the inevitable sparks fly.
I expected this to be just like She's All That and Drive Me Crazy, but this film is so cuddly, clever and cute that you can't help but have a blast watching it. The performances are great, Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, both newcomers, have a marvellous on-screen chemistry and they have a promising future. All the characters are properly developed and the film paces itself brilliantly, therefore resulting as one of the better, more carefully worked out teen films of the year. There are faults, of course, the film is extremely predictable and some of the performers sometimes becoming annoying, but otherwise, this film is no less that a good, strong teen flick.
Recommended for a bit of fun on a weeknight, mostly for teens, but larger audiences may also find this entertaining.
I rate 10 Things I Hate About You 7 out of 10.