Monster-in-Law (C or 2/4 stars)
'Monster-in-Law is a comedy directed by Robert Luketic. Fresh from a mental breakdown at finding out she's been fired from her own TV talk show, possessive mother, Viola (Jane Fonda), now has to deal with the fact that her beloved son and surgeon, Kevin (Michael Vartan) has brought his fiancee and dog-walker, Charlotte (Jennifer Lopez), to meet her. Charlotte will soon realize that Viola is the mother-in-law from Hell. She's lost her show, she'll be damned if she's losing her son now, too. It's great to see Jane Fonda in this witchy role. Her banter with Lopez is fun. But most of the movie is intolerably inconsequential.
Seeing Charlotte as a threat, Viola will try to thwart her son's romance with the help of her assistant, Ruby (Wanda Sykes). Many subplots & crazy schemes ensue (some are funny, most are ludicrous). But Kevin doesn't want to lose Charlotte. And Charlotte, or 'Charlie', is ready to tackle any challenge that comes from Viola. Viola is strong, cold, and robotic about her every wicked action. Charlotte is a free, off-the-cuff spirit; not a good combination for a mother-daughter relationship.
Let the vileness begin: Charlotte drugs Viola. Viola responds by crushing nuts in Charlotte's gravy (she's allergic, of course). Viola shows up to the big wedding wearing the color white (blasphemous). Viola's own mother-in-law shows up (Elaine Stritch), she's as vile as Viola and then some. Charlotte tries to make Viola see the error of her ways. And Ruby backs this up, "Whatever made you (Viola) think that Kevin wasn't happy with Charlotte?". Fearful of losing her son for good, will she begrudgingly accept Charlie into the family now? Or will she continue to connive til the bitter end?
Fonda is witty & has great cinematic presence. I'm not the biggest J-Lo fan, so watching Viola diabolically hinder Charlotte's life DID bring a smirk to my lips. It IS entertaining to see them at each other's throats. Other than this so-called chemistry, the film is fairly flat. The way Kev & Charlotte get together is generic. Their oddball friends come & go with little screen time. It's really the screenplay that lets the film down. Michael Vartan (riding the coattails of a dimming flame of popularity from his Alias series) is completely blah here. And it's annoying to watch him have no apparent clue that his mom & fiancee hate each other.
The ending is predictably appropriate. I'll probably never see this again. Though, I wasn't in pain when initially watching it. The comedy is seriously lacking, but intangibles save the movie. Watch the film for Fonda's 'comeback', Wanda Sykes' humor, Elaine Stritch's baritone nastiness, and ... well, not much else.
Seeing Charlotte as a threat, Viola will try to thwart her son's romance with the help of her assistant, Ruby (Wanda Sykes). Many subplots & crazy schemes ensue (some are funny, most are ludicrous). But Kevin doesn't want to lose Charlotte. And Charlotte, or 'Charlie', is ready to tackle any challenge that comes from Viola. Viola is strong, cold, and robotic about her every wicked action. Charlotte is a free, off-the-cuff spirit; not a good combination for a mother-daughter relationship.
Let the vileness begin: Charlotte drugs Viola. Viola responds by crushing nuts in Charlotte's gravy (she's allergic, of course). Viola shows up to the big wedding wearing the color white (blasphemous). Viola's own mother-in-law shows up (Elaine Stritch), she's as vile as Viola and then some. Charlotte tries to make Viola see the error of her ways. And Ruby backs this up, "Whatever made you (Viola) think that Kevin wasn't happy with Charlotte?". Fearful of losing her son for good, will she begrudgingly accept Charlie into the family now? Or will she continue to connive til the bitter end?
Fonda is witty & has great cinematic presence. I'm not the biggest J-Lo fan, so watching Viola diabolically hinder Charlotte's life DID bring a smirk to my lips. It IS entertaining to see them at each other's throats. Other than this so-called chemistry, the film is fairly flat. The way Kev & Charlotte get together is generic. Their oddball friends come & go with little screen time. It's really the screenplay that lets the film down. Michael Vartan (riding the coattails of a dimming flame of popularity from his Alias series) is completely blah here. And it's annoying to watch him have no apparent clue that his mom & fiancee hate each other.
The ending is predictably appropriate. I'll probably never see this again. Though, I wasn't in pain when initially watching it. The comedy is seriously lacking, but intangibles save the movie. Watch the film for Fonda's 'comeback', Wanda Sykes' humor, Elaine Stritch's baritone nastiness, and ... well, not much else.