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The Worst Film Ever

Sorry, this movie sucks

A Disappointing Continuation

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) is a successful single NYC gal and has given up finding the perfect man. She goes to have artificial insemination. Her friend harried mom Mona (Michaela Watkins) warns against it. Clive (Eric Christian Olsen) refuses to contribute. After insemination, she fights Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) for a cab. Carol (Melissa McCarthy) leads the single mom support group. She runs into Stan who is selling cheese at the farmer's market. Despite being pursued by muffin girl Olivia (Danneel Harris), Stan falls for Zoe. After being told about her pregnancy, Stan befriends a dad (Anthony Anderson) at the playground.Lopez and O'Loughlin have limited chemistry and the story doesn't help. Lopez tries hard but she has to keep asking if he's leaving. It doesn't allow for the chemistry to build. There are some good comedic talents here. None of that can save this badly conceived movie.

The Back-Up Plan (2010): Dir: Alan Poul / Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen, Danneel Harris: A perfect back-up plan is to avoid this film altogether and watch Date Night instead. It regards forced change as Jennifer Lopez becomes weary of her dating life and decides to have the sperm donated and inserted. Then comes the lamest romantic encounter in history as Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin end up in the same cab where they spat, then she ends up at Farmers Market where he sells cheese, then he stalks her at her pet store. They fall in love too and its enough to make a person upchuck in their shorts. Is there anything in this pitiful garbage that hasn't been done in every other romantic bullshit? Director Alan Poul doesn't seem to have any handle on the humour or the relationships because neither blend successfully here. Lopez has played many stupid roles in her career but this one ranks as one of her most nit-witted characters. She manages to crash her car into a tree because she gets starry eyed. Her back-up plan should be to seek therapy after playing someone this unsympathetic. O'Loughlin starts out as this guy who takes nothing serious to being this suddenly responsible guy when he realizes that Lopez is pregnant with twins. It is like a personality switch midway. Supporting roles are characters who act like total morons and show up when the plot conveniently needs them. Locations bear some invention particularly the cheese place but in the end the best back-up plan for this light weight mess is to abort it with lighter fluid and a match. Score: 2 / 10

While this is not my favorite JLo movie, it is still worth the watch. Alex is absolutely adorable in this, it's truly nice to see him in a rom-com. He's been on my watchlist since his short-lived Moonlight. The Back-up Plan storyline is silly, but it's easy to go with it. Surely there are women that can relate to JLo's character's predicament! It is a bit far-fetched (ok, more than just a bit) that a man you just met and dated a bit would stick by you if he had just found out you hit the sperm bank and are pregnant, but like I said- the story is silly. The movie, at times, felt a bit long, but then again, you are following along with her pregnancy. I found her best friend to be extremely obnoxious, but I get it, she had to have a sidekick of sorts. I was surprised to see Eric Christian Olsen in this film, but not surprised that he was funny. More rom-coms for Alex and Eric both please!

The most difficult thing about story telling is the ending, especially so in a movie script. Now I am not going to reveal anything about the ending of this film except to say the last sixty seconds or so is very cleverly worked, and I am not speaking of the crazy credit outtakes.So what about the beginning and middle? The plot setting and cast introduction is well worked with the main leads giving energetic and enjoyable performances throughout. I am not going to agree with those who may feel the single mum group is a mistake since the film is a comedy, and there is plenty of comedy within the group even if it may offend some. But I do feel as if the idea of the group was a filler which may have gotten out of control - no real back-up plan perhaps.The film overall is entertaining and although the idea of "insemination" is not as fully explored as it could have been because of where and how the film begins, I feel it does what it says on the tin and ends very well indeed.So I liked it, and whilst it is not a must see movie it is certainly worth watching. Six out of ten and a star for Ms Lopez for doing such wonderful things with some stew and half a loaf of bread.