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Geek-gets-the-girl comedies are all very well, but the hero has to have a little appeal. Not so Denis (Paul Rust), a truly ungainly specimen with little to offer cheerleader Beth (Hayden Panettiere) other than novelty value and infatuation.
The opening scene – in which Denis proclaims his love during his graduation speech – is amusing, but when Beth turns up at his under-attended house party later that night, laughs are few and far between. Amateur dramatics reign as Beth’s macho boyfriend picks unlikely fights with Denis (why bother?).
There’s the potential for ‘Superbad’-style comedy when Denis and his pal go on the run with Beth and friends, but the pace is slow and lines fall flat thanks to long pauses and hammy delivery. As Beth, ‘Heroes’ star Panettiere shows little big-screen promise, although she is one of the more watchable actors in this low-budget misfire. It’s not the worst of its kind, but there’s nothing chic about this geek.