I'm going to try really hard to see the sneak preview tomorrow. I'm dying to see it, it looks hilarious!

*sigh* I'm going tomorrow. ](*,)

Zingy, it won't be that bad. I'm taking my reluctant "hates Jane Fonda" mom to see it tomorrow. (I told you I'd get my way :razz: ) I hope that you really enjoy it. It really doesn't look bad at all.

It doesn't really look THAT bad, but it's not something I would go out of my way to see in the theaters, either.

If Jennifer Lopez wasn't in it, it'd be terrible. :razz:

I'd prefer she *wasn't* in it.

Maybe she'll somehow shock me and go back to actually acting like she did early in her career. Well, actually, considering the type of movie this is, that's doubtful, but I hope she's at least okay in this.

Eh. I'm so glad my mom has no interest in this. She wants to see The Interpreter instead.

I attended the sneak preview screening of the new Jennifer Lopez/Jane Fonda comedy today, and I liked it better than I thought I would. I thought that it looked good, and different clips and trailers looked funny, but I wasn't prepared for the volume of laughs that was in store, and it didn't take very long for them to begin. Before I get to the movie, a little about the screening. It played to a 300 seater that was packed for the 4 PM showing (the only showing), and the demographic was impossible to nail down, because everyone was represented so well. Young, old, middle aged, black, white, male, female, etc... Perhaps the Mother's Day effect was in full bloom, as I even took my mom, but I didn't see enough pairings like that to make me think it was an overwhelming factor. BTW...in a nice promotional gesture for those seeing today's screening across the nation, ladies were presented with a single red rose as they exited the movie, and I thought that was a nice gesture. Onto the film, and I'll not mention any spoilers of significance...

Jennifer Lopez plays Charlie, the marginally employed girl who is single and conscious of it, and when she least expects it, Kevin (Michael Vartan) enters the picture. After a brief courtship, they start dating, and a few months later, Charlie moves in with Kevin. Jane Fonda plays Viola, the Barbara Walters like journalist who has seen the world and interviewed every major world leader and celebrity in existence, but age has caught up to her, and certain career events lead to a bit of a meltdown for her. Not exactly the best time for Kevin to bring his new girlfriend to meet his mom. #-o Viola and Charlie hit it off splendidly, and Kevin takes the opportunity to propose to Charlie, much to Viola's disbelief. That's when the game of cat and mouse begins.

Viola is relentless in the things that she does to try to drive Charlie away, and it's high comic hysterics to see her pulling some of the things that she does on the unsuspecting Charlie, who's nerves are really being tested. Along the way, Charlie finds out that Viola has been up to no good, and she decides to play some games of her own, and the comedy is just as effective, if not, moreso. My mom, who has the worst sense of humor on the planet , laughed throughout, and told me that she thought it was hysterical, and the rest of the audience was in a constant state of laughter along with her. The dinner party scene was tension filled one upmanship at it's best, and the final result of that encounter will leave even the sourest viewer in stitches.

The performances were all very good. Jennifer Lopez was delightful, even when her wicked side came out, and hats off to Jane Fonda. It's a testament to her as a performer that she could be away from the camera for 15 years, and then jump head first into a contemporary comedy and do it so effortlessly and so brilliantly. I'm sure that the J-Lo and Fonda haters will be far too stubborn to give credit where credit is due, but they were both really good, especially Fonda. (Even my Fonda hating mother agreed) Michael Vartan is merely window dressing. He's just "the guy" that Charlie is marrying, but this isn't the story of "their" relationship, this is all about Charlie and Viola, and Kevin just happens to be what brought them together. He's not a worthless character, but it's not a romcom where the story centers around the leading man and leading lady's love story.

I also have to mention the hysterical Wanda Sykes, who has one gut busting one liner after another, and was a HUGE reason that this was so funny. Her timing and delivery were excellent, and she was a great sidekick for Fonda. There was another elderly woman character who is introduced late in the 3rd act that it's impossible not to laugh at, as well.

Monster-in-Law is a movie that anybody can enjoy, and much like Fever Pitch, it's not the formula "chick flick" you might be expecting. If you have issues with Lopez or Fonda, you might be surprised how well you like it anyway. If you like these types of movies, I can't see you not being absolutely entertained, and I think that a B+ would be the worst grade you would give it, although I'd bet on something in the A range.

A

So of course I went to see the newest rom-com on the block Monster-In-Law with my wife today. Let me be clear, I love the genre. Nothing makes me feel as good as a well made, emotionally resonating, romantic comedy. It's truly an under appreciated genre. Many of my all-time favorite films are rom-coms.

Monster-In-Law doesn't break any new ground. It's not very funny, it doesn't convey any messages worth noting. The casting of Jennifer Lopez is one of the biggest misfires in recent memory. The character of "Charlie" (you have to love it when they butch up female leads) is a free spirit, the typical bohemian . She floats through life with a gay best friend, taking odd job after odd job. To say Charlie is out of J.Lo's range is an understatement. She is brutally off key throughout the entire film and a tad too old. As for Michel Vartan, he's an afterthought, with little screen time and not much to do or say. The award for strangest cameo goes to Elaine Stritch offering up a large dish of irony for Fonda.

HOWEVER....

Jane Fonda as Viola manages to rescue the film, with an assist from Wanda Sykes (playing sassy black like no one else). Almost every scene Fonda is in explodes with maniac energy. I mentioned Sykes and truly she and Fonda should have been the center of the film, just a character study of an older television personality with an axe to grind and her sassy assistant/best friend. The whole impending marriage/mother-in-law angle is trite and boring and obnoxiously uneven. The film does manage to keep afloat until the climatic third act when both actresses struggle with a tacked on resolution.

So, you should watch the movie for Fonda and Sykes and those two alone. And it's not a great rom-com in any sense of the word. Lopez's performance is so caustic it almost melts the print.

C

Wanda Sykes saved this disaster. Everything else was a waste of my free movie ticket. C

It's a disaster and you gave it a C? That, by definition, is an average movie.

Sorry. It saved it from being a disaster.

I didn't catch this during the sneak preview, but I'll see it next weekend for sure.

I tried to like this movie because Wanda Sykes is a sharp-tongued assistant and Jane Fonda is an over-the-top wretch, but ultimately, the story is tired and flat. Lopez is too hoity-toity and one-note, while Michael Vartan is hardly in it. Even their friends are introduced, not developed, forgotten, then reappears towards the end.

Poor Elaine Stritch is wasted in the movie. It could have used more (or even, none) of her.

C-

Okay, here is the review I wrote on Yahoo.

Cliched and unoriginal

Before I begin, let me just quickly say that I was one of the lone defenders of Gigli. That is to say that even though I didn't like the film so much, I didn't think it was awful and or the worst film I have ever seen. Ben Affleck was over the top in that movie and annoying, but it was Jennifer Lopez who stood out. She was actually pretty good and Gigli. As a matter of fact, in most of her acting efforts she has been pretty good, especially in last year's underrated Shall We Dance?

Now that you know how I feel about Jennifer Lopez and her acting abilities, let me tell you how I feel about her and this film known as Monster-in-Law.

To say that we have seen this movie before would be an understatement. If you have seen the film Meet the Parents, or even Guess Who, you have seen a film that handles this type of situation much better than in this film.

The film begins with us meeting Charlie (Jennifer Lopez). She is one of the amazingly attractive women who can't seem to find love at all. As a matter of fact, the only way she finds it, is by literally bumping into it at a coffee shop. Enter the male love interest Kevin. Rather quickly the two of them fall in love.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Viola, a Barbara Walters type journalist/talk show host. When we meet her, we learn that she has just been fired from her job (For reasons that aren't clearly explained) and has to go on with doing one more show (For reasons that inexplicablly unexplained). She of course flips out on a Britney Spears type superstar, for the movie's funniest scene, and ends up going to a "rehab center".

Five months go by with Charlie and Kevin moving into a house together, and Viola coming out of the "rehab center". Almost as soon as she as released, the three of them end up having brunch together at Viola's house. Only to move the plot along, for no explainable reason except for the fact that he is deeply in love with Charlie (Even though they have only known each other for five months) he decides to propose to her in front of his mother...........who was just released from the looney bin. Of course since this is a sitcom type of a movie, she begins to go crazy and then decides that she must make Charlie's life a living hell.

There you have, Monster-in-Law in a nutshell. Except for those of you who actually saw the previews for the movie, you could pretty much figure that out by yourself.

Now, my opinion of Jennifer Lopez hasn't changed after watching this film. The failure of this film should be squarely placed on the screenwriter's hands. For half of the film, the character of Charlie is a very sweet and loving woman. For the last half of the film, she decides to take revenge on Viola, and then she quickly becomes hateable. Yes, she is performing every in-laws dream of getting back at their mother-in law, but they don't actually perform on it. At one point we root for her, and finally we end up hating her.

As for Kevin played my Michael Vartan, who cares? He is only there because of Jane Fonda's character. You could really make Kevin a non-existent character and still have the film work as much as it did here.

Then there is Jane Fonda. She was in retirement for 15 years. First of all, who the hell cares? Second of all, she comes out of retirement to pick this film? What the hell was she thinking. There is not one ounce originality to be found anywhere in this film.

Finally, there is Wanda Sykes. If you have noticed her on any talk shows lately, she has been saying nonstop that this is the greatest film ever made. Now don't get me wrong, I know she is saying that to get a laugh, but I think she is also saying it for another reason. She's saying it because she knowns she is in a dog turd of a movie. She is the only actor to come out of this one with their dignity intact. She also comes up with the film's funniest one-liners. It has been said that she came up with most of those by herself. If that's true, that means two things. The first one is it proves she is a comic genius. The second is that the screenwriter's dialouge was truly pathetic and needed to be improved upon.

I first saw the film last weekend, during the Mother's Day sneak previews. As I was walking out with my family, they were handing out roses to all of the mothers. I at first thought they were doing it because it was Mother's Day and it was a nice gesture. But then I realized that I think they were actually apologizing to us.

D

In short, Monster-in-Law was an absolute laughing riot. I had the best time watching, and all three ladies (Lopez, Fonda, and Sykes) had perfect timing for getting the right laughs. I didn't think it would be this good, but it was, and I will most definitely be buying it on DVD. The best comedy of 2005 so far, and it might just stay that way.

A

:laugh:

I went in with low expectations after having been recently "fockered", and came out with a broad smile on my face. Certainly not a work of cinematic genius, but darn it if J. Lo doesn't go and work her magic on another movie - she's just too charming!

J. Fo takes a bit of getting used to, now that she's like 80 years old, but she too grew on me, and ended up making me glad she's returned to her movie career.

The only sour note was the underdeveloped secondary characters, most notably Wanda Sykes, who seemed to feature prominently in many negative reviews of this movie - her lines seemed the most "written" and over the top. The rest including the fiance and best friends were like pencil sketches of real characters.

But, yes, I enjoyed it - a lot.

This one was definitely a surprise, but then I've had a soft spot for J. Lo since The Cell and Angel Eyes, and I just fell for her again when I saw her in Selena on TV of all places, for the first time...

4 out of 5.

Today:

MONSTER-IN-LAW - 9/10 (A-)

I loved it! It was complete fun from beginning to end and I was laughing the whole way through. Wanda Sykes steals the show, but Jane Fonda is also hilarious and Jennifer Lopez is very charismatic and likable. It's pretty close to an 8/10 (A-) or 8/10 (B+) in terms of quality but it was just so much fun. Way underrated! It's the best comedy of the year so far. I'm glad it's doing well at the box office and has solid WOM.

MONSTER-IN-LAW

An enjoyable comedy. Very funny. Wanda Sykes had a great performance. Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda also generated some good laughs. The audience along with me enjoyed the film. A-

Wow, I didn't reply in this thread. Well, the movie could have been cute but it, for the most part, fell flat on it's ass. The best thing about it is definetely Wanda Sykes, she's hilarious.

5/10 (C-)

I really enjoyed this I thought that it was well done. It was pretty funny. I give it a 6.8(B)

I liked it too, enjoyable fluff. Jane Fonda is great, and despite some weak deliveries Jennifer Lopez isn't half bad.

- B/B-

I loved this movie! It was so cute, and funny. I loved Jane Fonda, and Jennifer Lopez. Wanda Sykes really made the film for me though, she was hysterical. I was pleasantly surprised by how consistently funny this film was. It was so good, and all of the characters are very likeable. The ending is also very good. I liked how Jennifer and Jane kept finding ways to get back at each other, all of them were so funny. I wish Hollywood would make more movies like this. It's definitely A worthy.

A-