The Hot Chick

The world can be divided into two types of people: those who think Jim Carrey/Adam Sandler/Rob Schneider movies are funny as shit and those who think they're just, well, shit. While Schneider may not have been blessed with "good looks, charm, or a fully functional brain," both parties should be able to agree on one thing: he knows what works for him. And by now so do we. The Hot Chick is Schneider's third fish-out-of-water no-brainer comedy and anyone who has seen either Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo or The Animal knows exactly what to expect. This time around the far-out premise involves petty thief Clive (Schneider) swapping bodies with high school hottie Jessica (Rachel McAdams) via a pair of magical Egyptian earrings. That the premise impudently defies both logic and credibility is irrelevant in the Schneider universe. What's important is that it's established early on to maximise the amount of time available for crude fart scenes and phallic jokes. (You were expecting a satiric jab at outdated gender stereotypes?) While there's ample bonus material on the DVD, watching the deleted scenes is akin to sorting through someone else's garbage. Out of 15 rough takes, by far the funniest is Will Sasso's role as a high school janitor. Meanwhile, the alternate ending is highly disappointing, as are the various featurettes contained in the "Yearbook" section. Of course, bonus material of any calibre isn't going to win anyone over who isn't already a fan. As for the "funny as shit" contingent, the bonus material is too weak to boost The Hot Chick out of rental limbo. Extras: director's commentary; deleted scenes, including alternate ending; behind-the-scenes featurette; Zed music video, "Starlight." (Touchstone)