AQUAMARINE
Director: Elizabeth Allen Stars: Emma Roberts, Joanna (JoJo) Levesque, Sarah Paxton, Jake McDorman, Arielle Kebbel, Tammin Sursok, Claudia Karvan, Julia Blake, Roy Billing, Bruce Spence, Shaun Micaleff
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
The press corps was remarkably self-controlled during the preview of Aquamarine, a film that was definitely not made for them. Perhaps they were thinking of their daughters (or granddaughters) and realising that this was the niche market. Aquamarine is a film for those younger girls who love Hilary Duff movies, some of the Lindsay Lohan movies and, definitely, those for whom The Princess Diaries movies were the best of the year.
This is a giggly-squealy show. And Emma Roberts and Joanna (JoJo) Levesque (last seen as Robin Williams’ daughter in RV) as best friends 13 year-olds do more than their share of giggling and squealing. But they also get the chance to match-make for the life guard that they tend to swoon over. Since he is too old for them and since his girl-friend is what they describe on the beach as a ‘sand witch’, they are overjoyed when Aquamarine, a mermaid, turns up one morning after a tremendous storm in their swimming pool. She is a giggly Barbie type (Jessica Simpson was offered the role so that gives some idea, though Sarah Paxton has an enormous IQ edge over Jessica judging be her (limited) conversation).
There are some minor crises because Aquamarine is keeping this all secret – she does have legs as well as a tail but her legs disappear when the sun sets so she has to get back to water in time, or else. And so on.
Filmed in Australia’s Gold Coast standing in for Florida, the film has a number of serious locals like Julia Blake, Roy Billing, Bruce Spence, Shaun Micaleff and Claudia Karvan as Claire’s mother all doing a half-hearted best at American accents.
This is the kind of film that our two heroines would love to take Aquamarine to see.