Wick's Review

Summary - OK 2.5

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut nails her target audience’s erroneous zone: every good girl’s desire to breakout. Running riot in bohemian Austin’s roller-derby circuit gets ’er done, especially given how Texans revere contact sports.

Still, star-driven female empowerment does not a transcendent movie make. As proof, the successful metaphor of roller-derby as female football isn’t enough to make Whip It good. If you’re not a young woman, it’s just this side of silly.

But that’s OK ’cause Whip It whips it … OK.

Acting - Good 3.0

Star power – top to bottom.

• Ellen Page’s Bliss Cavendar ain’t no Juno yet is a classic High School girl.
• Jimmy Fallon slums as Hot Tub’ Johnny Rocket, Roller-Derby Announcer.
• Alia Shawkat always impresses, her as Ellen Page’s BFF.
• Marcia Gay Harden does beautifully as the Mom.
• Daniel Stern essays Texas Man.
• Landon Pigg, well named, plays rocking boyfriend Oliver

Then come the best named characters you’re every going to find, the Hurl Scouts roller-blade team.

• Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem
• Zoe Bell as Bloody Holly
• Eve as Rosa Sparks. Risky move for the big Hip Hop star.
• Drew Barrymore herself as Smashley Simpson, a great name if ever there was one.

Captain of the opposition.

• Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven. Lewis clocks in two decades older than Page, and pulls off a female Kurt Russell thing. Good for her.

Film - OK 2.5

Director Drew Barrymore’s first feature is hardly a disaster, though it has several amateurish moments. She’ll get better.

Edge - Risqué 1.8

Reality - Glib 1.4

1 Comment

• Wick Oct 25, 2010 7:12AM

  Regarding BrianSez’s Review
  Wow. Looks like a fun flik Bri.

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