In spite of a juvenile script, the bonding between Bianca and her friends Jess and Casey, her quirky relationship with her mother and the chemistry between Whitman and Amell, draw you in to make The Duff surprisingly enjoyable.

The title is an acronym for “The Designated Ugly Fat Friend”, whose drivel drives the plot. It is a predictable tale of high school romance between the “Duff” and the school’s most sought-after hunk. Overall, “The Duff” is a feel-good, vanilla rom-com which is entertaining with some old-school charm that you can relate to.

Wait till this one is out on DVD. Not worth the big screen experience.

Despite the very predictable way the movie moves along, the message here is simple, well-known and comfortingly reassuring – that if someone loves you, they will do so because of who you really are on the inside.

Whitman sparkles and shines with her comic delivery. Her camaraderie with the very likeable Amell is enough to brighten a predictable script. The spirited students win The Duff an A, despite its lazy and easy treatment. So what if there is no one really fat or ugly here and we just have one more label?

…is not a comedy which will make you laugh out loud, but has more than enough funny bits which makes it likeable. The plot, at first, seems entangled but it eventually leads towards a clear goal. You don’t need to be Einstein to figure out where it is going, but overall its an amusing and whimsical trip.

The story is predictable right until the very end, but this is one film where the journey is more fun than the result. There are plenty of silly and smart laughs, and the back and forth Whitman has with her friends and foes and especially Robbie Amel is enough to keep to you chuckling in your seat.

It’s easy laughs and easy entertainment, and an easy recco.