Bynes shines in 'She's the Man'

[Holly]

TV is her main domain these days, but Amanda Bynes can feel good about something movie-wise: She's the reason to see “She's the Man.”

That might seem like a no-brainer, since she's the star of the comedy, but the picture falls almost entirely on the shoulders of the “What I Like About You” actress. If she didn't succeed, the movie would collapse completely; she does, so it doesn't.

The story is a modern variation of Shakespeare's classic “Twelfth Night,” which involves a woman posing as a man. Bynes is cast as a soccer player whose own school team folds, so she sees a golden opportunity when her brother hightails it overseas, leaving his own soccer squad. Guess who she decides to impersonate?

Bynes has very evident fun as her character gets even with lots of people she can't stand -- ex-boyfriends, her brother's girlfriend, etc. -- while maintaining her guise. It's the same kind of kick one gets from watching Dustin Hoffman's alter ego lash out while pretending to be a woman in “Tootsie,” but as that also proves, you have to have the right talent performing the charade.

Ever since her days on Nickelodeon's “The Amanda Show,” Bynes has displayed her penchant for humor. She still does so in television's “What I Like About You,” and “She's the Man” really lets her blossom as a true comedic star who can hold her own over the course of a prolonged story.

The “tween” and teen sets are the obvious audience targets of “She's the Man,” but older viewers may find themselves enjoying it quite a bit, too. There's only one reason for that, and her name is Amanda Bynes.

(Rated PG-13)