But I can't give this film an A-... Can I?  After all, I am bound by the laws of film criticism that deem cross-dressing comedies too shallow and unoriginal to merit even the slightest praise.

Oh crap!  I can't help it.  This film was hilarious... At least for the first two acts.  The laughs taper off in the final third as the cutesy section of the film kicks into high gear.

The reason for this breach of critical etiquette?  Amanda Bynes' comedic gem of a performance.  Her delivery and mannerisms are so perfectly timed and enthusiastically energetic that it is hard not to let out the occasional belly laugh.

She blends the slapstick brilliance of Lucille Ball with the romantic charm of Meg Ryan and adds a quirkiness all her own to deliver one of the most charming performances of the year.  This girl is going to be a star for a lot longer than your average teen-queen.

Essentially the film is an amalgam of different clichés.  You won't be watching this film for believable and unique plot lines.  Amanda Bynes plays a soccer star whose girl's team gets cut from the college funding.  But when her brother decides to skip the first two weeks of school to go play with his band in Europe, she sees the opportunity to take his place in the boys dorm and on the boys soccer team.

I am pretty hard to break down.  Readers have often accused me of being too harsh on 'pure entertainment'.  But you know what?  This is about as fluffy an entertainment film as you are ever likely to see... And it worked... It got past my cynical defenses and forced me to like it.

I actually caught myself laughing hysterically at one line in particular... one that I think many audiences will miss because it is delivered by an off-screen character in a very subtle way.  I don't want to ruin it for you, but I will say that it takes place in the science class right after a hot girl walks in to the room.  I was in tears!

I was so shocked that I was having a good time that I actually stopped myself and wondered if there was a leaking can of Nitrous Oxide under my seat.  I just couldn't believe that this film was doing that all by itself.

However, there are still some complaints to be made.  The film has about five musical interludes that play like cheap montage videos.  The big final soccer game is ultimately cheesy and clichéd... leaving little room for anything but sentiment and a tidy ending.

I am going to stick with my B+ grade because I would be too embarrassed to give it anything higher.  I might lose any and all credibility as a film critic.  However, you should know that I was tempted to sacrifice my dignity because of Amanda Bynes' charm and a script that tickled my funny bone a heck of a lot more than I expected.