10 Things I hate about you 10th Anniv SE [DVD] (This Title is in Our Summer Sale*)

The story is based on Shakespeare's Taiming of the Shrew. It is about two sisters, one very popular, Bianca Stratford(sexy: Larisa Oleynik) and the other, Katrina or "Kat"(superb: Julia Stiles) hated because of her gruff character. Their overbearing father(hilarious: Larry Miller), devises a scheme whereby Bianca cannot date until rebellious Kat does, which seems an impossibility. Thereby is set up a scheme to pair Kat off with the roguish Patrick Verona(outstanding: Heath Ledger). One of the masterminds of this plot is Cameron James(cute: Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a newcomer to Padua high, where the movie takes place. The other is his assistant of sorts, Michael Eckman(David Khyumoltz).

Though somewhat predictable, especially if you have read Taming of the Shrew, it is an interesting light diversion. The dialogue is quite well done, interwining a word or phrase from Shakespeares with modern teen slang. Other does to Shakespeare are seen in Kat's friend who idolizes him as if he is a teen heartthrob, plus reading of his works in one Kat's classes. The timing in the dialogue is also very Shakespearean. It's very rapid fire. I think both David Khumoltz and Larry Miller are amazingly funny!

Overall, this is not your typical shallow teen romance movie, but can appeal to anyone who enjoys witty dialogue, and many literary references.

The DVD is unremarkable. It has a good DD 5.1 soundtrack driven by a nice selection of alternative rock - Letters from Clio had several cameos, but I believe they mainly played cover tunes, not their own stuff. The DVD does not contain any special features.

Julia Stiles plays Kat, the scary older sister of Bianca, the most lusted after girl in school - an anemic performance from Larissa Oleynik. Fortunately her father has come up with a plan to preserve his peace of mind - Bianca can't date until someone takes out her older sister. Cameron, the new kid in town, takes it on himself to set her up with Heath Ledger's Patrick Verona, in order that he can pull some moves on Bianca.

While most of the cast is forgettable in a made for TV kind of way, Stiles and Ledger both allude to some actual talent. Between them they provide some interesting chemistry - usually entirely absent in romantic comedy - and a few touching and even funny moments. There is one truly fantastic scene involving some impromptu serenading and a continuous, enjoyable feel throughout. The film is a little let down by the character of Bianca - neither attractive nor interesting enough to be believable as an object of lust, although she is more than made up for by her father's quirky comedic interaction with both of his daughters. In general this is an ideal date movie, perfect for a night on the sofa with your girlfriend, it avoids the teenage staple of gross-out comedy and remains good fun for the duration.

The main let down with this DVD is the extra content, or lack of it! There are no extra features on the Region 2 disk which is a real disappointment. There's lots of potential for quotes or information about the inspiration (William Shakespeare's Taming Of The Shrew).

Worth buying for the film content but not exceptional for DVD features.