The date-night genre of choice, rom-com's, get another black eye. People have rightfully criticized stuff like Valentine's Day for giving the genre a bad name, but Back Up Plan makes even V-Day seem almost good by comparison.
Jennifer Lopez shows up, after appearing in nothing but check-out stand gossip news rags for a while. Along with Jen are a supporting cast whose acting, simply put, reeks. Jen is an uppity "bio-clock's running" 30-something who wants a relationship, plus a child. Guys flee in terror (they must have seen abominations like Gigli, Anaconda, Jersey Girl and Monster-in-Law), so she resigns herself to a single-mom future, and goes through an artificial insemination procedure. Just minutes after learning she's pregnant, she meets Mr. Right (a poor sap who hasn't seen her movies). A possibly amusing premise, but the writer clearly had no idea where to go with it. The story is jumbled, rambling, and has no clear goal. It's more like a series of skits with corny punch lines, usually mean-spirited in that the joy of parenting is grossly mocked.
The poor sap boyfriend and JLo have romantic chemistry about as hot as the polar ice cap. The weak scripting and abysmal direction may be to blame for their poor acting performances; it's not certain. The guy just mugs and stares blankly. As for Jen, she's kind to the eyes but grating to the ears: her line delivery is a patchwork quilt of sing-song, cutesy-cute, whiny, and condescending career-woman tones. At times, she appears catatonic.
Even stuff like Iron Man and Nightmare on Elm St. would be more romantic and funny than this is.
Jennifer Lopez shows up, after appearing in nothing but check-out stand gossip news rags for a while. Along with Jen are a supporting cast whose acting, simply put, reeks. Jen is an uppity "bio-clock's running" 30-something who wants a relationship, plus a child. Guys flee in terror (they must have seen abominations like Gigli, Anaconda, Jersey Girl and Monster-in-Law), so she resigns herself to a single-mom future, and goes through an artificial insemination procedure. Just minutes after learning she's pregnant, she meets Mr. Right (a poor sap who hasn't seen her movies). A possibly amusing premise, but the writer clearly had no idea where to go with it. The story is jumbled, rambling, and has no clear goal. It's more like a series of skits with corny punch lines, usually mean-spirited in that the joy of parenting is grossly mocked.
The poor sap boyfriend and JLo have romantic chemistry about as hot as the polar ice cap. The weak scripting and abysmal direction may be to blame for their poor acting performances; it's not certain. The guy just mugs and stares blankly. As for Jen, she's kind to the eyes but grating to the ears: her line delivery is a patchwork quilt of sing-song, cutesy-cute, whiny, and condescending career-woman tones. At times, she appears catatonic.
Even stuff like Iron Man and Nightmare on Elm St. would be more romantic and funny than this is.