Jennifer's Body (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Needy (Amanda Seyfried, of Mean Girls, Mamma Mia) is your typical high school bookworm whose BFF happens to be the sexy, conceited captain of the cheerleading squad, Jennifer (Megan Fox, of Maxim & Transformers fame) in 'Jennifer's Body', directed by Karyn Kusama, & written by Diablo Cody; the ex-stripper who won the Oscar for penning 2007's Juno. The 2 friends are an unlikely pair: sharing little in common. But friends are friends; having been so since their childhood days. Normally, when they go out for a night on the town together, Jennifer wants Needy to look 'cute', but not 'hot' ... like her - you see how dominating she is in this "friendship". But though Needy feels somewhat inferior to Jennifer, it is she who actually has a boyfriend; one who's similar to her in disposition - the sweet, smart, & very eager (if you know what I mean) Chip (Johnny Simmons).
One fateful night, Jennifer drags Needy to a local bar to see the rock band 'Low Shoulder'. The lead singer (Adam Brody) gives Needy the heebie jeebies, but Jennifer, of course, is into him. And after a disastrous fire at that local bar, Jennifer is cajoled into a van with the guys in the band. Needy fears for Jennifer's well being. She could be raped, killed ... or worse. And the "worse" is actually what winds up happening. To put it bluntly, Jennifer's terrifying experience with 'Low Shoulder' inadvertently transforms her into a possessed demon that feeds on men. It's only by way of their flesh & blood that Jen can sustain her looks & overall health. As Needy's male classmates are steadily murdered in a series of gruesome attacks, she wonders if she can uncover the truth behind her friend's odd behavior, keep Chip from harm, & find a way to end the horror show on display.
First & foremost, I had a fun time watching 'Jennifer's Body'. It's no masterpiece. But I do feel that my $$ was well spent. I laughed out loud several times. There are copious amounts of gore (bloody fun). I was creeped out/scared a few times. And I actually enjoyed Diablo Cody's use of teen speak in this movie; even more than in her Oscar-winning Juno. The sarcastic, quick-witted, smug type of dialogue fit better in this film & felt more natural coming out of the mouths of these characters. I really liked 'Juno'; but one of my grudges with it was its misplaced use of teen lingo. Something else I enjoyed in this movie was using it's admittedly silly plot as an obvious allegory for adolescent angst, female sexuality, social power, & the bond that's forged btwn. 2 lifelong female friends (and how there's a strange, subliminal sexual bond buried somewhere beneath the surface).
However, aside from a great one-liner said by Jennifer in the bloody climax, the 3rd Act is a letdown; where fun satire segued into generic melodrama. Also, I don't think the filmmakers quite knew how to juggle the different tones of the film. Yes, the movie has a bite to it (pun intended). Yes, there are some very funny spurts. And yes, plenty of women will bury themselves in their dates' shoulders from fear. But the film needed to be consistently funnier, gorier, scarier, & sexier (more nudity, please) to be considered a campy, cult classic. What plays out is a slightly off-balance mash-up of a sorta smart, sorta sexy, sometimes funny, teen angst/horror flick. Still, the performances are fun. I always like Amanda Seyfried. And Megan Fox showed me that, aside from her incredible good looks, she does have some acting chops; with good comic timing & line delivery. I didn't flat out love 'Jennifer's Body', but it's certainly better than the Unborns, Haunting of Molly Hartleys, & Haunting in Connecticuts that get released all too frequently.
One fateful night, Jennifer drags Needy to a local bar to see the rock band 'Low Shoulder'. The lead singer (Adam Brody) gives Needy the heebie jeebies, but Jennifer, of course, is into him. And after a disastrous fire at that local bar, Jennifer is cajoled into a van with the guys in the band. Needy fears for Jennifer's well being. She could be raped, killed ... or worse. And the "worse" is actually what winds up happening. To put it bluntly, Jennifer's terrifying experience with 'Low Shoulder' inadvertently transforms her into a possessed demon that feeds on men. It's only by way of their flesh & blood that Jen can sustain her looks & overall health. As Needy's male classmates are steadily murdered in a series of gruesome attacks, she wonders if she can uncover the truth behind her friend's odd behavior, keep Chip from harm, & find a way to end the horror show on display.
First & foremost, I had a fun time watching 'Jennifer's Body'. It's no masterpiece. But I do feel that my $$ was well spent. I laughed out loud several times. There are copious amounts of gore (bloody fun). I was creeped out/scared a few times. And I actually enjoyed Diablo Cody's use of teen speak in this movie; even more than in her Oscar-winning Juno. The sarcastic, quick-witted, smug type of dialogue fit better in this film & felt more natural coming out of the mouths of these characters. I really liked 'Juno'; but one of my grudges with it was its misplaced use of teen lingo. Something else I enjoyed in this movie was using it's admittedly silly plot as an obvious allegory for adolescent angst, female sexuality, social power, & the bond that's forged btwn. 2 lifelong female friends (and how there's a strange, subliminal sexual bond buried somewhere beneath the surface).
However, aside from a great one-liner said by Jennifer in the bloody climax, the 3rd Act is a letdown; where fun satire segued into generic melodrama. Also, I don't think the filmmakers quite knew how to juggle the different tones of the film. Yes, the movie has a bite to it (pun intended). Yes, there are some very funny spurts. And yes, plenty of women will bury themselves in their dates' shoulders from fear. But the film needed to be consistently funnier, gorier, scarier, & sexier (more nudity, please) to be considered a campy, cult classic. What plays out is a slightly off-balance mash-up of a sorta smart, sorta sexy, sometimes funny, teen angst/horror flick. Still, the performances are fun. I always like Amanda Seyfried. And Megan Fox showed me that, aside from her incredible good looks, she does have some acting chops; with good comic timing & line delivery. I didn't flat out love 'Jennifer's Body', but it's certainly better than the Unborns, Haunting of Molly Hartleys, & Haunting in Connecticuts that get released all too frequently.