The Perfect Score

Each year in the US, over a million school kids sit the SAT examination, a test that decides whether they qualify for their university of choice. The Perfect Score focuses on six pupils terrified of failure, who then embark on a teen adventure to ensure their success.

Director Brian Robbins quickly establishes the personality and motivation of each character, before having the half dozen stereotypes form an unlikely cadre. Soon, sporty teen, rebel teen, brainy teen and so on are putting their heads together in a plot to steal the answers from the Educational Testing Service offices.

It is during the process of the heist that the group inevitably learn some of life's lessons, which will help them in their next step to becoming young adults. The importance of teamwork, the realisation that relationships change and that you can't always achieve your (or your over-bearing parents') dreams, are all quite clearly flagged. However, the question as to whether cheaters do actually prosper, is strangely left undecided by the end credits.

The characterisations in The Perfect Score are thin and the actors' performances range from passable to downright awful (Darius Miles, we mean you). But with a pace and style typical of MTV productions and some moments of cheeky humour, the movie is certain to entertain a large section of the target audience.

The comparison to John Hughes' 1980s classic The Breakfast Club is obvious (and is pre-empted by a frankly contrived reference made by Johansson's Francesca) but The Perfect Score doesn't relate with any audience member beyond its pre-determined range. The film just isn't smart enough to work on more than one level, unlike kids' shows such as 'The Simpsons' and 'Malcolm In The Middle'.