Beastly

An arrogant high-school pretty boy (Alex Pettyfer) humiliates the class goth girl (Mary-Kate Olsen)—but she’s a real witch, and curses him with ugliness which will become permanent unless he can find a girl to love him. Director Daniel Barnz’s script tries to do for Beauty and the Beast what Clueless did for Emma, and Easy A for The Scarlet Letter (Beauty this time is Vanessa Hudgens), but Barnz fails to include the wit, charm or energy of Clueless or Easy A. It’s all strained wisecracks and moony teen angst, with just a dash of fun from Neil Patrick Harris as a blind tutor. Poor Alex Pettyfer—did he sign a contract promising to appear in the two worst movies of the year (first I Am Number Four, now this)? Like Number Four, this is based on a novel (by Alex Flinn) that one can only hope was better.