Share

Watch It

On DVD: Now | On Blu-ray: TBD

What a Girl Wants Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    41

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 20

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    Young audiences may welcome this movie, but girls, and boys, should want more.

  • 50

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    The movie is clearly intended for girls between the ages of 9 and 15, and for the more civilized of their brothers, and isn't of much use to anyone else.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Variety Todd McCarthy

    It feels much more like a shameless reshuffle of "The Princess Diaries."

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    The New York Times Dave Kehr

    Minnelli's comedy had its serious underpinnings: by the end of the film, a girl had become a woman. By the end of Ms. Gordon's film, the girl is still a girl, but a girl with much cooler stuff, including a stately home, a butler and a cute British boyfriend.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

    Works well enough. It has a decided plus in its appealing young star, Amanda Bynes, last seen opposite Frankie Muniz in "Big Fat Liar."

    Read Full Review

  • 63

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    There's nothing wrong with fairy tales, but they don't have to be formulaic. A movie like this would have benefited from a blending of the fanciful and the inventive.

    Read Full Review

  • 67

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    In her sassy but scrubbed way, Bynes is a real charmer, and What a Girl Wants is a likable throwaway.

    Read Full Review

  • See all What a Girl Wants reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 10+

Overly cute, but great for its intended audience.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has some brief strong language, including a reference to a dog that bit a man's testicle and an ugly insult (from a villain) about a character's mixed race heritage. The family issues, including the Parent Trap problem of having a child bring her estranged parents together, may be difficult for some children.

  • Families can talk about the way Daphne tried to "fit in" and whether Henry was doing the same. What were the most important things Daphne and Henry learned from each other? They should also Henry's decision to change direction and what the impact is likely to be.

What to watch for
  • violence false1

    Violence: Brief comic peril.

  • sex false0

    Sex: A kiss.

  • language false2

    Language: A couple of strong words.

  • consumerism false0

    Consumerism: Not an issue

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

Fan Reviews provided by

5

by akgleegirl

Advertisement