Sydney White review

A sort of Mean Girls-lite for that sliver of university-age teens who’ve yet to succumb to beastly grown-up behaviours, Sydney White follows the misadventures of the title character, played with effortless charm by Amanda Bynes (looking like the world’s jolliest lollipop). She’s a tomboy-ish freshman trying to join her late mom’s sorority, unaware that it’s descended into a pit of tight-sweatered, bottle-blonde vipers. Post-rejection, the Snow White references start piling up like poisoned apples as Syd allies herself with a gang of happy, grumpy and sneezy dorks. Suitably, the sorority’s queen bee is named Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton), so you know who to root for. Directed by Joe Nussbaum (George Lucas In Love), it’s a Grimm prospect for fairytale traditionalists, but breezy enough to stop tweens feeling sleepy.