SouthFlorida.com | Teen Link South Florida

The romantic comedy: It has been done a thousand times before, but somehow manages to maintain a breath of fresh air in The Ugly Truth.

Abby Ritchter (Katherine Heigl) is a struggling TV producer, who just can't seem to find the right edge for her morning show to keep her ratings up.

That is, until Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) is brought into the picture by her boss (Nick Searcy) for a segment entitled, "The Ugly Truth." In this segment, Mike provides advice to both sexes on dating, relationships, love and lust.

Abby has seen his show on public-access television before, and she thinks his advice to win men by having a great body ("It's called a Stairmaster, ladies -- use it!") is a rude, crude and a total ludicrous way of getting the guy of her dreams.

Being a self-proclaimed control-freak, Abby refuses to listen to any of the advice Mike has to offer, despite the increased ratings he has brought to her morning show.

So Mike decides it is time to take the situation into his own hands. He strikes a deal with Abby: If she takes his advice, the object of her affection, Colin (Eric Winter), the fit orthopedic surgeon, will be hers in no time.

Unlike most romantic comedies of today, this one was actually funny, and it isn't just the humor shown in the previews. Rated R for the vulgarity of the jokes, the script's one-liners were laughably clever.

The risqué scenes, specifically one involving vibrating underwear at a corporate dinner meeting, kept the audience laughing for several minutes straight.

Although uptight, Heigl's character has a definite soft spot. Butler's character, an honest jerk, has a somewhat charming quality about him. Together, they make a perfect on-screen duo, working off each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Although somewhat predictable, the movie is from both the male and female perspective, making it a must-see for all, for those 17 and older, of course.