SYNOPSIS
Only ardent fans of the Disney Channel's sitcom princess will like this retake on Gidget Goes to Rome from director Jim Fall. Everyone else should give this synthetic soap opera a wide berth. Fluffy to the point of nearly blowing off the screen, the clumsy TV eighth-grader (Hilary Duff) goes on a graduation school trip to the Eternal City where she's mistaken for the female half of a sensational Italian pop duo and is coerced to impersonate her at an awards show. But all is not what it seems in this old-fashioned froth complete with bumbling Italians, language problems, designer-gear montage and the inevitable Vespa ride around the obvious landmarks. No Three Coins in the Fountain cliché is left unused in this inane confection that is sugar-coated blandness personified and not remotely funny. The soundtrack features a cheesy disco version of Volare - and that says it all.
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