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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Back-up Plan movie review

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Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) is fed up with the dating scene and decides to start a family on her own via a sperm donor.  The day she is inseminated she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), and he turns out to be the perfect man, sent to muck up her plan.  Supposed hilarity ensues as the two learn important lessons about life and love and the joys of a pregnancy that is not a product of their relationship.
I thought the plot was at least different enough that there was potential for a decent movie. It started on a downward slope with what seemed like a ten-minute opening-credits cartoon sequence and then went straight into a voice-over backstory.  Ugh.  From then on out it was every bad romantic movie cliche topped with cheesy dialogue and a plot that never went anywhere beyond what is shown in the previews.  I realize the genre as a whole has kind of hit the bottom of the barrel in terms of new plot ideas, but this was like some high school kid took The Wedding Planner and  Knocked Up and did a mash-up video on YouTube.  Lopez played the same character she always plays: the successful and stubborn woman who doesn't need a man but desperately wants one.  The fact that the theater was less than half full on opening night shows how much her stock has fallen.  While dashingly handsome, O'Loughlin did little else to make his mark on American audiences.
The highlights for me were every scene with Michaela Watkins (of SNL fame).   She managed to shine despite her all-too-small role as the best friend.  I see big things for her.  I also found myself not hating Zoe's "single mothers and proud" support group.

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