GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Film

Upcoming Release Calendar
Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Film In Our Forums

 

Wide Releases

sort by name sort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

 

Limited Releases

sort by name sort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

 



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

Sydney White
Universal Pictures

Sydney White reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 45 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.8 out of 10
based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 7 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for some language, sexual humor and partying

Starring Amanda Bynes, Matt Long, Sara Paxton, John Schneider, and Jack Carpenter

In a college comedy that puts a modern-day twist on an age-old story, Sydney White tells the tale of a tomboy freshman who ditches her conniving sorority sisters and finds a new home with a group of very dorky outcasts. Fed up with the way they've been treated, she's off to war against the reigning campus royalty. (Universal Pictures)


GENRE(S): Comedy  
WRITTEN BY: Chad Creasey  
DIRECTED BY: Joe Nussbaum  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: January 22, 2008 
Theatrical: September 21, 2007 
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75
TV Guide Adam Schubak
I like Amanda Bynes movies…and I’m a dork!
Read Full Review
67
Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
The result is a charmer that boldly marches where lesser movies - at least since the heyday of John Hughes - fear to tread.
Read Full Review
67
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
"Revenge of the Nerds" is way cooler in its proud defense of geekosity, no question. But anti-ditz role model Amanda Bynes just happens to be cute.
Read Full Review
63
Miami Herald Connie Ogle
Its silly Snow White allusions aside, Sydney White is a simple but amiable modern fairy tale.
Read Full Review
63
New York Post Kyle Smith
Destined to enchant the slumber parties.
Read Full Review
60
The New York Times Laura Kern
Ms. Bynes, with her cherubic face, expressive eyes and comic timing, helps create a positive, pleasing diversion that caters to the geek in all of us.
Read Full Review
58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Andy Spletzer
Although Bynes exudes a devil-may-care attitude that is fun to watch, the formulaic movie ultimately falls apart around her.
Read Full Review
58
Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
14-year-old girls will dig its amiable energy.
Read Full Review
50
Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman
While the film's premise is shamelessly hokey and Joe Nussbaum's direction is at best pedestrian, props are due the young cast, especially Bynes, whose can-do optimism seems genuine if ultimately overdone.
Read Full Review
50
Variety Lael Loewenstein
Result should satisfy Bynes fans looking for a pleasant, innocuous follow-up to her last vehicle.
Read Full Review
50
Chicago Tribune Maureen M. Hart
Director Joe Nussbaum (“Sleepover”) doesn’t do much with his cast; there’s a lot of standing around as he indulges Bynes’ tendency to mug.
Read Full Review
50
New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Unfortunately, though, Bynes' persistent mugging only emphasizes Nussbaum's relentlessly cartoonish direction.
Read Full Review
50
The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden
Cute and cartoonish rule the day, and teens and tweens will be the film's chief audience.
Read Full Review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
For all these references to the fairytale, Sydney White soon takes an easier path, recycling familiar "Mean Girls" and "Revenge of the Nerds" scenarios.
Read Full Review
50
USA Today Claudia Puig
Each twist and turn is so telegraphed and expected that the story feels wan and the comedy feeble.
Read Full Review
50
San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego
A mediocre college comedy that blends bits of "Revenge of the Nerds," "Mean Girls" and "Legally Blonde" and doesn't have much to show for it.
Read Full Review
40
Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart
Sydney White is a carnival of ethnic and social stereotypes that are rising up against the lily-white status quo. In Hollywood, blond princesses and fairy tales die hard.
Read Full Review
40
LA Weekly Luke Y. Thompson
Unfortunately, this film doesn’t have the cojones to take the fairy tale all the way and have Rachel marry Sydney’s dad (or cast actual dwarfs). But director Joe Nussbaum knows his dorkdom, and nails it.
Read Full Review
38
Boston Globe Ty Burr
Sydney White makes "Mean Girls" look like Shakespeare.
Read Full Review
30
Austin Chronicle Toddy Burton
It’s cheesy and contrived, but even the most watered-down stories retain elements of the original masterpieces.
Read Full Review
0
The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson
What's the excuse for dumbing down Snow White to moron level? Are there really people out there who thought the original version just didn't have enough toilet jokes?
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Marcus A. gave it a0:
I couldn't stand seeing this movie with 3 good reviews, so I brought it down a peg.

George O. gave it a10:
Fun movie with a great message!

Discuss this movie in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use