Amanda Bynes showed early talent for acting on skit shows “All That” and “The Amanda Show,” then did movies and a sitcom in the Aughts, then retired after “Easy A” (2010). Because her catalog is limited, fans might watch all of her stuff. Unfortunately, this includes “Lovewrecked,” which technically has a 2005 release date, but U.S. viewers had to wait till a 2007 ABC Family airing.
“Lovewrecked’s” comedic premise is actually quite strong. Bynes’ Jenny is working at a resort when her celebrity crush, rock star Jason Masters (“The O.C.’s” Chris Carmack), stays there. They go overboard when their cruise-ship outing encounters a storm and they supposedly end up on a deserted island. Jenny realizes it’s just the north end of the resort island, but she hides that from Jason.
Writer Stephen Langford’s screenplay is essentially a long skit, with funny parts in a vacuum. Jenny buys fish from a market, and pretends to catch them barehanded in the water, to the appreciation of Jason, hobbled by a broken ankle. (He suffers the injury when going overboard; this isn’t quite a “Misery” scenario.)
“Lovewrecked” (2005)
Director: Randal Kleiser
Writer: Stephen Langford
Stars: Amanda Bynes, Chris Carmack, Jonathan Bennett
A wasted cast
Bynes is effortlessly good at this type of light, cute comedy. It’s worth a giggle when she pretends to knock out the fish. The cast is actually good, including Jonathan Bennett as Ryan. He’s a cautionary tale for guys who crush on their female bestie but keep their feelings to themselves.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, in a pre-“Sopranos” role, gets creative with a fake French accent as Jenny’s rival fangirl Alexis, who likewise attempts to snag Jason. (An example of the project’s shoddiness: She goes by different names in the opening and closing credits – Jamie-Lynn DiScala at the start.)
Fred Willard, Kathy Griffin, pop star Lance Bass and “Fresh Prince’s” Alfonso Ribeiro are also present but wasted. Langford intersperses the “shipwreck” situation with unfunny antics back at the hotel as Jason’s crew has to keep switching to smaller rooms.
The most glaring flaw of “Lovewrecked” is its amateurism, despite being directed by “Grease” veteran Randal Kleiser. The cinematography, sound design, soundtrack usage and staging of scenes are all at the level of a cranked-out variety-show skit. Casual viewers might not know the technical reasons why everything seems cheap, but they’ll recognize it. Most glaringly bad are the special effects in the pivotal sequence, wherein a wide shot of the cruise ship is a toy boat.
The film is shot in the Dominican Republic, which is good because we get some genuine beach flavor. But really, this is an overlong “Amanda Show” skit. The editor recognizes the flatness enough to keep the pacing brisk, thus increasing the watchability. And fans of the actors get healthy doses of Bynes in a bikini and Carmack shirtless. Overall, though, “Lovewrecked” can’t be salvaged.
