so-so remake of Risky Business

Rating: 5/10 (9 April 2004)

The similarities in the story with Risky Business are so strong as to be unmistakable. There are some differences, mainly in the sweetness of the relationship between the main characters Matthew and Danielle. This made the movie somewhat enjoyable, but all in all, the story was simply lacking in original elements. I like Elisha Cuthbert, but I think that in this case the casting of her in this role was based on her present appeal and not because she was the best actor for this particular role. She does a very good job, but it is still just too hard to believe her as a porn star. Maybe it would have been more believable if she hadn't been so sweet (if it is possible for Elisha to not be sweet) but then if she hadn't been sweet, it would have been hard to believe that Matthew would have fallen for her. This suggests a fundamental problem with the concept, which is no surprise, but it still would probably have come off better if the Danielle character had been cast with someone a little more believable as a porn star. Then again, what is going to sell this movie is not its believability, but the appeal of the two main characters for the teenage dating couples that will be the main audience for this movie. I like Elisha (did I already say that?) but I don't think that this sort of light-heated comedy suits her, and I would much rather see her in a major role in a serious action-drama of some sort. This sort of fluff is not going to do her any good, and she is far more talented, so she should try to skip past these sorts of roles and go straight for the first serious role that comes her way.
All in all, this is decent date movie for a older teens and younger twenty-somethings who don't object to the R-rated theme and the small dose of nudity. You won't see Elisha nude, by the way, and I admire her determination to not cede to what surely must have been some very heavy pressure for her to appear partially nude.