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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 41 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
10 OK for kids 10+
Read Common Sense Media review

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

  • 67
    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

  • 63
    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

  • 60
    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

  • 60
    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

  • 50
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    It's slick girlie stuff, but the cast makes it go down easy. Read full review

  • 50
    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
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

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

  • 30
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    It's uninspired and insipid all the way. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Edward Guthmann

    Dreadful teen comedy with a "Cinderella" theme. Read full review

  • 20
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

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

View more reviews for What a Girl Wants on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says 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
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

What a Girl Wants Movie Ratings + Reviews

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So-so 25 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

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