Metacritic reviews

When not unnecessarily bland, synthetic, and indistinguishable from undistinguished teen TV, A Cinderella Story is unnecessarily coarse and dumbed down, with every character except Sam and Austin subject to perfunctory ridicule.

The film lacks the guiltily pleasurable panache (and punch) of other recent chickadee flicks posited as protofeminist fairy tales.

Under the charmless direction of Mark Rosman, the actors seem to be frozen at the rehearsal stage, with the blessed exception of a sublimely funny Jennifer Coolidge as the Botoxed horror of a stepmother.

Of all the teen performers out there, Duff has to be the blandest (especially since the Olsens hit the skids).

From its uninspiring title -- and certain turnoff for young males -- to its limp slapstick and uneven acting, A Cinderella Story arrives with a dull thud.

Lusterless trifle.

Duff isn't exactly known for complex fare, but even "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" was way better than this.

Even the delightful Duff disappoints.

The sort of entertainment that makes you happy to be grown up and able to avoid the current onslaught of trite, lazy, unimaginative films aimed at tween-agers.

It is horrible. Time curls up and dies while this Hilary Duff vehicle wheels its weary, conventional way along.