User reviews

Perhaps it's because when one sees, "MTV Films", in the opening credits, one's expectations then hit rock bottom. It's as if MTV lulled me into a false sense of security, knowing the usual "depth" of their projects. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this little film. It doesn't hurt that I could watch Scarlett Johansson sitting on a couch doing nothing and I'd be enthralled for hours. At any rate, I found the film, though cliched, quite cute. Roy, the obvious comic relief, played his role very effectively, I laughed at him often. The other characters were of lesser involvement, but several stereotypical demographics were adequately represented: the brain, the jock, the average joe, the stoner, the angry rich girl, and the decent good guy. It truly was as if MTV was trying to create "The Breakfast Club", twenty years later, for a new generation. If they succeeded in that is debatable, but at least the made a decent, funny flick.

There's lots of clichés and stereotypes to endure when watching a high school movie. For the most of it, The Perfect Score manages to avoid most of these clichés though the characters are a bit stereotypical. There's the brainy kid, the rebel, the stoner, the loser, the jock and the good guy. Hardly a breathtaking assortment of originals eh?

But their plan to steal the SAT scores and their interaction together are what make this movie worthwhile. The unimaginative marketing for this movie claims it to be Ocean's 11 meets The Breakfast Club. But the actors are carrying the movie, doing the best they can with weak material, rather than the 'wild' premise.

I especially liked Roy, the stoner and narrator as he got the most back story and had more a character arc than the rest of them. And it was pleasant to have the lovely, oh-so-cute Erika Christensen though I'm not too fussed about Scarlett Johansen (she looks like a teenage version of my mother!). A non-Shaggy, but still manic, Matthew Lillard has a small role as a concerned big brother.

You'll not remember it 5 minutes after the credits role but for a non-threatening, easy-going movie The Perfect Score fits nicely. You could do a helluva lot worse. And what else do you expect from an MTV movie?

The DVD is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with lackluster Dolby 5.1, though to be fair it mostly a dialogue-driven movie. There are a bunch of fluff features for those who care.

The Perfect Score is one of those movies you would expect to be incredibly stupid. The premise is absurd: kids try to steal the answers to the SAT. However, I found myself enjoying this movie. The characters are likable and have good reason to cross the line to cheat on the SAT. I especially enjoy Erika Christenson (who I didn't recognize from her work in Traffic and Swimfam) as the girl who needs a high SAT score to get into Brown University. This movie shows the pressure that high school students have on standardized testing in general. Their grades may be good, but without a good score on this one test makes the difference in what college they can get into. I was not a fan of standardized tests in high school and I do not like them now. I think that dislike of these tests adds to the appeal the movie. I give this movie a 6/10. It is worth 90 minutes of your time.

Imagine, you failed your SAT test and your environment is pushing you so hard that you HAVE to pass for the retest. But, you're just not good enough. Or that the university you would like to go to requires a score that is way-beyond your capabilities.

What would you do? And if you decide to cheat, would you keep it a secret or would you share it with some people? In this movie, the secret leaks out and more people get involved in the plan: to steal the answers.

The diversity of characters in this movie often leads to funny situations or strange conversations.

The movie itself is a little predictable, but it stays nice. I would say, 7 out of 10.

Of course, this isn't great citizen kane style cinema, but this movie is fun to watch, especially if you are in the target demographic like me. This is a typical teen/college movie, minus the grossness of movies like American pie. If you liked "Better luck tomorrow" (also distributed by MTV films), then I think you will like this one. I have to say that "better luck tomorrow" was a much, much, better teen scam/heist movie, but this one rolls along merrily. The script isn't really well done, but it has a few good jokes, like "If they make it into a movie, I wonder who'll play me...I hope your hung like a horse." Scarlet Johansson is great, as always, even with this auto-pilot acting.(like in eight legged feaks, but tha's what I like about Scarlet. She switches from camp/kitch/crap to great movies without any difficulty) The movie is perfect for when you're way to stressed because of your exams at college, like me today.

Despite its relatable subject matter, The Perfect Score delivers a less than perfect portrayal of the well-documented issue of standardized tests. Yes, the film takes a more light-hearted approach on purpose (and kudos to the Matrix reference scene), but it feels like the film is dancing in the shallow end of a very deep body of water. There are a number of hot topics that are quickly glossed over, and the moral of the story becomes glaringly obvious way too early.

All that being said, there are a few chuckles and it's fun to see some A-list celebs when they were younger. You'll just need to look past the cheesy romance, sub-par acting, and unrealistic plot points to get the most out of it. Any secret hopes you have that this is a high school version Ocean's Eleven movie should be dampered.

Verdict: Watch.

Six kids decide to steal the SAT. It stars some future Hollywood stars and an NBA player. The story is fairly bland. The dialog isn't sharp. If it wasn't for the stoner Roy (Leonardo Nam), there wouldn't be comedy at all. And I wouldn't call him a great comedian. The various attempts at jokes usually fail.

The story tries to be Breakfast Club with a caper. The style is a lower grade A-movie wannabe. The recreation of The Matrix only helps to remind the audience that this is just a copy of better movies. And there are better caper movies than this. It doesn't feel very well thought out or special. And the pretension of being the next Breakfast Club really suffers by the comparison.

The good part of the movie is the young faces. They have star power even back then especially Scarlett Johansson who plays the enigmatic Francesca Curtis. However I must admit that I am always surprised at how successful Chris Evans has become. The acting here is usually better than the material.

Those expecting cinematic events like the Godfather or Saving Private Ryan.

Stop reading this.

Those expecting crude teen humor films featuring underage drinking and nudity, such as Road Trip and Varsity Blues.

Stop reading this.

But those of you looking for a teen movie full of the typical adolescent hinjinx and cheap laughs.

Start reading this.

The Perfect Score won't light up the box office or have everyone waiting day after day for its release onto DVD.

Instead, it's a movie targeted towards middle schoolers, high schoolers, and most college students.

Typically good kids under rough circumstances, most of us who have taken the SATs remember the pain in the arse they were. Throw in two very attractive, and talented acting-capable, girls...two guys and a jock...and an Asian pothead quick with one liners...

and you got a pretty solid movie.

While the Perfect Score won't give you everything you want, I feel that it will make you just happy enough that you caught the showing.

So if you're looking for a movie to sit back and relax too...and perhaps vicariously wonder if you could steal the answers to the SAT...check out the movie.

I enjoyed it, and chances are if you kept on reading this post.

You will too.

Six anxiety ridden teens, Chris Evans, Erika Christenson, Leonardo Nam, Darius Miles, Scarlett Johanssen and Bryan Greenburg are having panic attacks over the impending Scholastic Aptitude Tests aka the infamous SAT which will determine whether you go to an Ivy League School or MacDonald clown college. Don't tell them anything different.

What to do but hatch a plan to steal the answers and get The Perfect Score which will put you on the path to fame, glory, and riches, whatever priority you have.

The Perfect Score is a new millennial version of The Breakfast Club and it even has the same number of troubled youth who spent that afternoon in detention discovering themselves. It's not as serious ultimately as The Breakfast Club was, but at least this one included a black and Asian teen in the mix.

Although Chris Evans and Scarlett Johanssen have gone on to have the most substantive careers at this point, the best in the film hands down is Leonardo Nam. He's the perpetually stoned one who is the most underachieving in the class, but he turns out to be the one who makes lemonade with lemons life hands him. Nam is also interesting in that he's the one who seems to be rebelling against an Asian stereotype in that those young people are the smart overachievers. In any event he steals every scene he's in.

The Perfect Score is a nice teen comedy about six unlikely people who bond together in an objective and develop relationships and aspects of their character they never thought to have possessed.

I think that this film was missing many things in making it good. It was your average teen film with nothing special. Plot was kind of like that of the movie Cheaters. The movie was borderline R rated. The only pluses were the stoned guy the whole film and Scarlett who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. If you must see this film go into it with no thought and you may actually like it. Or you could just go see it for the only two good things mentioned above.

Well, not the ENTIRE reason to see this film... but she was certainly the highlight for me. Why? Frankly because I didn't even know who she was until I saw this film (sad, considering her other work is extremely interesting).

At any rate, the plot is simple; high school students pressured by life decisions plan to steal the S.A.T. (which has various definitions assigned to it throughout the movie). It becomes an elaborate scheme and many people get caught up in it.

Including shinning Erika Christensen (from SWIMFAN and TRAFFIC).

There's the obvious collection of somewhat stereotypical kids (a stoner, a brain, two slackers- one more academically charged than the audience would like to believe).

At any rate, this movie plays well.

I actually loved it!

I supposed it was a bit more personal for me since my PSAT and S.A.T. were HELL!!!!!! And I sunk my teeth depe into a movie that blasted these types of standardized tests and the implications they hold (sexism, racism, placism, all of which are true of standardized tests and the current education system in general, sad to me... and me on the brink of being an English professor).

At any rate, the bottom line is this: You HAVE to admire a movie where one of the "heroes" of the film is a stoner who's so ultra-smart among his peers that he excells past all of them while convincing everyone around him that he's borderline stupid. Only Mtv could produce such a character, or such a film.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

And watch Johansson... She's gonna be a star if her smoldering performance here is any indication! She plays the best goth/metal/rebellious/finger-to-the-system/badgirl I've seen in film today...

I rented this film after seeing Chris Evans in CELLULAR and Scarlett Johannson in LOST IN TRANSLATION. I heard that the movie was held back from release a while until Scarlett hit the big time with a few awards she received. i watched the movie with a slight cynical POV, but i was actually quite surprised that an MTV movie would actually become enjoyable. OK, so the premise is corny and stupid, even more so seeing as i live in the UK and SAT'S are nothing to me, and i never really understood how High school students, who can't get a high SAT score can pull of a mission impossible style heist. But hey, this the MTV generation and if people like Ben Affleck can save the world then i can believe Dumbass kids pulling of a heist. The acting is above par, but the characters aren't exactly detailed enough. Matthew Lillard shines as usual in the small part of Kyle ( Chris Evans ) older dumb brother. Scarlett goes through this film almost with the knowledge that she is destined for better things and just goes along with. With a lot of flaws, i still sat and watched this no-brainer film and weren't disappointed. if you like films that are no brainers or easy on the mind then watch it and it doesn't matter. Could have been A lot worse. thankfully it wasn't

While no real attempts to break the typical teen movie vibe, the film did provide decent comic relief. It fits well for the MTV target demo and personally never tire of seeing Scarlett Johansson. The plot idea is good, but needed quite a bit more work from a better team to make this movie better. But for a quick score and considering the source (MTV), it could have been much worse. I did enjoy the movie, but won't be putting it the ready to watch cue. More character depth would have given a bit more credibility to overall feel. Don't go in looking for a Breakfast Club level movie. It's fun, easy on the brain and as Roy would say, "It's something to do".

I do not know why I went to see The Perfect Score earlier today. I have this huge ego thing that I should give almost every film a chance no matter how bad it looks. I can also admit that I am a huge fan of Scarlett Johansson because of her work in both Ghost World and Lost in Translation. This film to me looked rather Idiotic even at first but I figured it couldn't be as bad as it looks. Well, sadly I was wrong but please continue reading my review as I rip apart the disaster that is the Perfect Score.

The Perfect Score is about two best friends Kyle (Chris Evans) and Matt (Bryan Greenberg) who want to steal the answers to the SAT in order to achieve their own personal goals. Well, they decide they can't do it alone so they need the help of Francesca (Scarlett Johansson) to help. They need her because guess what her Daddy owns the building where the make the SAT test. Oh how convenient. Well, then Kyle falls for Anna (Erika Christensen) who is the 2nd smartest girl in school but for some reason is afraid she will fail the SAT. Well, sooner or later Anna tells Desmond (Darious Miles) who asks Anna for help on the SAT because he needs to get into college to play Basketball. Well, before all is said and done Roy (Leonardo Nam) overhears a conversation that Kyle and Matt are having in the bathroom about robbing the SAT answers so he too wants in. Together these 6 morons will work together to plan the ultimate heist to steal the answers to the SATs and achieve the perfect score.

Well, lets tackle the films acting first. Well, it's very amateurish. Scarlett Johansson who is a brilliant actress and she proves so in such great movies like Ghost World and Lost in Translation is truly horrible in the film. She plays a smart slutty girl who does nothing but hate daddy and wear push up bras. I normally don't make sexual jokes but I think if anyone in this film should get an applause it should be Scarlett Johansson's boobs. They gave a terrific performance. Scarlett I beg of you no more bad films, you're a terrific actress read the scripts and say no to the bad ones. I know you can do it. I also usually enjoy the work of Erika Christensen who starred in the films Homeroom, Traffic and Swim fan. Once again she is useless here but at least her character isn't as annoying as rest. Leonardo Nam was the worst character in the whole film. The always high Chinese guy. Oh my god I wanted to run for the exit when he popped on screen. Awful who writes these freaking characters? Chris Evans, who starred in one of the worst films I have ever dared to witness, Not Another Teen Movie was actually tolerable in this film although a few more acting classes may be necessary. And lastly Bryan Greenberg and Darious Miles seemed like they were trying to make the lousy script work but failed at it horribly.

The director of this masterpiece is named Brian Robbins who brought us other Academy Award winning films including the wonderful Ready to Rumble with David Arquette, and Varsity Blues with James Van Der Beek. Needless to say he hasn't made too good of choices in the directing category. He actually produced Radio which was a huge surprise to me since I think that's one of the only films I have seen that he has been apart of that hasn't sucked! I know I am sounding mean but there are far to many crappy films being made each year so I feel I have to really criticize the ones that are truly awful. I am actually going to give Brian Robbins one last chance in 2005 when he directs the remake of the Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen. I am a big Tim Allen fan so if he can screw that movie up well then I will never watch another film he directs.

The funny thing about this film is the fact that it actually took three writers to write this piece of garbage, yes three. Mark Schwahn who wrote the horrible 2000 teen flick Whatever it takes, Marc Hyman who wrote the flop Osmosis Jones, and finally Jon Zack who wrote 2001s Out Cold which has the honors of being on my worst movies ever made list. I guess I should expect this script to be every bit as bad as it was just looking at who wrote it. I mean the dialog was so crappy. It looked like a five year old wrote it. And who was responsible for putting in the Matrix joke. Haven't we learned Matrix jokes aren't funny and never will be? The script is truly insulting. The whole movie was pointless. I ask if these 6 morons can take the test on a computer and get a perfect 1600 in order to get the answers. That's right they actually have to make a perfect score in order to even get the answers. I mean what the hell? Why steal the test if you can take the test and get all the answers right. How stupid! And also who was responsible for the great job on the blatant product placement? The greatest line ever used in a film is when Scarlett's character says to Erika's character "You look comfortable in your Old Navy cotton pullover" It was like what the hell? Where did that come from? Needless to say the script was horrible and the film was completely humorless.

So was their anything remotely good about the film? Sadly there really wasn't except Scarlett's boobs. Its a shame to see both Scarlett & Erika wasting their talent. Believe me its there, just watch some of their other films and you will see it. This movie has been the worst film I seen so far this year and damn it its only February but luckily so far it has been the only bad film I have seen. I wanted to like this film, no matter how dumb it looked. I wanted to actually have a good laugh or two and watch these kids steal the SAT. I just didn't know I was going to be in pain for the entire 1hr and 40mins the film lasted. I can't recommend anyone to watch this film. I give this film a very low 2/10. I am sure it will be one of the year's worst films.

"The Perfect Score" tells the story of six very different high school teens who, frustrated with the SAT's, decide to break into where the answers are kept, and steal them. Naturally, as the film progresses, in typical Teen-Movie tradition, the kids all realise things about themselves and the others that they never knew.

The six teens are perhaps the most boring group of characters ever assembled for a Teen Movie. Hottie Chris Evans is great as usual, and his character, Kyle, is about the only one that you can sympathise with. Scarlet Johansson cannot save her character, Francesca, from being unlikeable. Erika Christensen is good, but her character Anna is about as boring as stale bread. Bryan Greenberg is a great actor, and his character Matty is likable and sometimes funny, but mostly stupid. Darius Miles should have a few more acting lessons as he was as bland as oatmeal, and Leonardo Nam should not be allowed to act, or narrate, ever again. Their characters of Desmond and Roy were also hardly interesting at all. Matthew Lillard has a small role as Larry, the brother of Kyle, but one wishes that he didn't have, as he was simply awful. On the plus side though, Tyra Ferrell was fantastic as Desmond's mother - only she didn't get enough screen time.

"The Perfect Score" wasn't all that bad though. There were some nice moments from Evans and Christensen, as well as being very moralistic, it just might have been better with more interesting and likable characters. So while it may not get the perfect score, it's not the worst way to spend 80-odd minutes.

Simply put, this is one of the worst movies ever made. Everyone involved in the making of this film should be punished in the worst possible way (especially the girl from Swimfan, why did they let her make another movie?). Anyways, 6 highly stereotyped high school students attempt to steal the SAT. The stoner, the moron basketball player (who by a shocking turn of events is able to do math! What character development!), hot punk(tm) Scarlett Johannsen, dorky swimfan girl, semi long-haired Abercrombie model, and his tool friend. If you didn't already know MTV sucks, this is another reason why. Sure, the girl with the "princess" belly shirt sitting in front of me enjoyed this film, but I was ready to puke up the past 3 lunches I had eaten. DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE

A kiff story about a guy named Kyle (Chris Evans) who tried to get into a university called Cornell University, so he took an SAT test and he passed it. He wanted to become an architect. But he did NOT want to take another test.

Kyle was in love with a girl named Francesca Curtis (Scarlett Johansson). And his friends were, a hard working girl named Anna Ross (Erika Christensen), a first team basket ball player named Desmond Rhodes (Darius Miles). And a dope smoking named Roy (Leonardo Nam). Roy loved women. ANY WOMAN!!! The group wanted to go to Financial ETS. And at Kyle's brother's party, Larry (Matthew Willard), they made a plan to get the answers for the ETS examination. And when they went to Fianacial ETS, the plan fell into place. Francesca walked past a guard and pretended to put boxes away, Kyle signed in at the front desk accompanied with his friend Matty Matthews (Bryan Greenberg) whereas Roy, Anna and Desmond waited in the woods. And soon, Kyle, Francesca and Matty went to go get the answers for the ETS examination.

During the escape, Matty was caught and he got arrested . It was a tragic scene with the music. And when everyone returned, they all went back into their usual routines: Francesca seeing her dad and her girlfriend sleeping together, Anna was being full of herself, Desmond was playing basketball in his backyard accompanied with Roy who was inside Desmond's house. And when Matty finally got out of prison, he and Francesca fell in love.

And at the end, nobody in the group was going to use the answers for the test and Roy gave the answers away to boys in the bathroom. Matty became an actor, Francesca sold her first novel, Kyle passed his test, Anna went to College in Europe and Roy created video games. And GUESS WHAT??!! Roy was the Narrator in this movie.

A Fun film to watch!

"The Perfect Score" aspires to be like a John Hughes film (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc.) but falls short...way short. Telling of six High School seniors who, faced with having to take the SAT's, decide to steal the answers to the test's questions only to have epiphanies go off like flash bulbs as they just sort of realize that crime doesn't pay and careers don't either when one has cheat their way to the top. The result is an awkward and stiff dramedy fusion of cliches and stereotypes sorely lacking in the creativity, imagination, and inspiration which teen flick maestro Hughes brought to his hit films. Passable and forgettable stuff only a teen could love. Adults might want to check out the much more provocative TV flick "Cheaters 2000" instead. (C)

Of COURSE this is not Gone With the Wind or The Godfather or Apocalypse Now, it's a teen flick and I find it absolutely hilarious, and vastly underrated by some very snobbish commentary I've read.

First, please understand that this reviewer is several things: A BIG movie buff capable of separating movies into genres and mental compartments rather than comparing apples to oranges in boneheaded fashion, I am not finished watching the DVD yet (it's on pause, but...I do that: watch and simultaneously check out IMDb, part of the fun), I'm utterly enamored of the freshness of this film. So far. But I've already had more laughs than I've had a long time (watching a slew of flicks where great actors were hired to do dreck with no apparent motivation).

I'm also a high school dropout, a college dropout (which means I've taken various tests of achievement and intelligence, the GED, the SATs and various other limiting, mind control efforts); fortunately I am now several decades old, and well beyond the reach of the academia nuts who currently crank our future fellow citizens out like Twinkies; i.e., old enough to have seen their results.

Hence, I get the premise, and I love these characters. I find this film vastly more entertaining than any Ocean's XX movie made after the Rat Pack got it right the first time. This is more fun than Hackers (and since I also spent years at IBM, yes, I loved that one, too; but I'm giving this a ten for the acting, the story, and the fresh handling of the genre).

If it disappoints in the end, I may come back and rate it again, but for now I'm laughing my ass off. Great commentary on our educational "bubble" system, great fun with each of the characters. (Especially Roy, I eagerly await his next scene. Though all these kids are good, and the dialog is exceptional.)

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Okay, this previous post hasn't been posted yet, so now I can conclude: great stuff. I repeat, for the genre. Some of the best out there. And we'll see some of these kids later. But really, a great movie. Not necessarily a keeper, a watch again, for sure. Still a 10 for it's intended scope, and I'm still a critical bastard. Loved it.

Liked black widow and captain America, that made the movie watchable. As long as you don't have high standards, it would be ok.

I rented this movie last night, hoping for some laughs. The cover says "The Breakfast Club meets Oceans Eleven." Those are two of my favorite movies and I am utterly appalled that someone tried to compare either of those to The Perfect Score. Sure, they tried to make it like those films, I actually think they used some of the same music as Ocean's Eleven, but they failed miserably. The film consists of six very different teens, who all need the answers to the SAT's for different reasons. While the film has a few great actors, the cheesy and unintelligent script makes even Scarlett Johansson (spelling?) look bad. The film is narrated by a so-called stoner, who sounds more mentally challenged than stoned. The only time I actually laughed in the entire film was when they played "Because I Got High..." The characters make very stupid decisions and the movie is a constant drag. The all too happy ending does not surprise, just disappoints and makes you wonder why on earth you just watched this movie. For those who are saying this movie is a great "teen flick" I heartily disagree. I am a teen and the only thing this movie did for me was make me feel embarrassed to be associated with people like this. This long, cheesy, dull movie is not worth even a rental...unless you are looking for something to put you to sleep at night.