Critic's Grade: B

I'll spare you the countless comparisons to "Roman Holiday," as everyone else seems to have taken that path, and get right to the point: I liked "Chasing Liberty." Sure, it's just another teen melodrama targeted right for the 13-year-old-girl demographic, but in its own unassuming, carefree way, it manages to stay brisk and entertaining. Mandy Moore stars as Anna Foster, the First Daughter who wants nothing more than to be able to go on a date with a guy without ending up being swamped by Secret Service agents. Hoping to attain a little bit of freedom during a trip to Prague, she attends a concert with a promise from her father that she will not be bothered. But promises were made to be broken, as she soon discovers, leading her to ditch the agents and make her way across Europe with Ben (Matthew Goode), a British photographer who also happens to be one of her father's agents sent to keep an eye on her.

Think I've ruined it for you? Nah. I haven't told you anything that the trailer doesn't give away, and besides that, if you're smart enough, you'll have everything figured out long before it happens. Which leaves it up to the actors to give the old tactics some revitalization, and believe it or not, Ms. Moore steps up to the challenge in much the same way that she has in films like "A Walk to Remember" and "How to Deal." Her sweet charm and interactions with her co-stars make for some very funny moments, and a few sentimental ones, however corny they happen to be. Add to the mix some postcard views of breathtaking European landmarks and vistas (hey, it worked for "Under the Tuscan Sun"), and you've got what amounts to the equivalent of a pre-planned vacation package that offers an overall pleasing getaway.

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