By now, most of you have probably heard the recent news about the runaway bride who faked her own kidnapping to avoid marrying her fiancé. While the real reason behind the ploy and obvious cold feet may never be known, there's always the explanation of the in-law factor. (Disclaimer: The following has nothing to do with the real-life people involved in that event or my own in-laws or those of anyone I know).
All families have strained relationships of one sort or another, but it seems -- whether by default or the actual manifestation of the rift by believing in the stereotype -- that those involving the parents or other relatives of one's significant other are those most fraught with angst, anger and any other number of negative emotional reactions.
After all, as a character in the comedy "Monster-in-Law" states, when you marry a man, you also marry his mother. Considering the eons of truth behind that statement, it's clearly nothing novel, but then again, neither is this film. Most likely conceived or at least given the green light following the success of that other in-law flick, "Meet the Parents" (which was followed by the even more successful sequel "Meet the Fockers"), this film reverses the genders of the participants and pars down the number of parents involved.
Rather than have the milquetoast Ben Stiller having to contend with the ultra-uptight Robert De Niro, we have the pretty but otherwise bland Jennifer Lopez clashing with the wound too tight Jane Fonda as her future mother-in-law. That immediately leads to the first concern and problem in that neither actress is known as being as funny as their male counterparts.
Lopez -- at least in her romantic comedies such as "Maid in Manhattan" and "The Wedding Planner" -- plays the same sort of character every time. While her name and occupation might be different from film to film, the character type is the same. Here, the filmmakers didn't think too hard about the job bit and thus have her working as a temp doing all sorts of different jobs (none of which, sadly, are inherently funny and only barely connect back in with the main plot).
Fonda, who did a comedic turn in "9 to 5" (although she played the "straight man" character), returns to the big screen after a 15-year absence (last appearing in "Stanley & Iris") to play the mother-in-law from Hell character. While she's certainly game for the part -- and looks terrific, I must say, at the age of 67 -- the material is below her capabilities. Rather than subtle and/or clever nuances, her character is broad and exaggerated. Although that may play okay to viewers weaned on dim sitcoms, the result is far from being as funny or entertaining as it could have been.
In fact, director Robert Luketic ("Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!" "Legally Blonde") and novice screenwriter Anya Kochoff take an awfully long time in getting to the comedic clash, bickering and black comedy nastiness between the two characters. Once it arrives, things pick up considerably and for a while, late in the offering, the picture actually works okay, with some decent laughs to be had. While none of that's particularly imaginative -- the filmmakers oddly opt not to continue with some earlier fantasy bits of comedic violence that elicit some of the biggest laughs -- it's far better than most of what leads up to it.
That would include the best friend who hangs out at Lopez's home and act gay in movie comedy way; the conniving ex-girlfriend who's around and attempts to sabotage the relationship and other such stock characters and storyline stereotypes that we've seen too many times in other such offerings. Once the fireworks begin, it's nice to see that Michael Vartan's ("One Hour Photo," "The Next Best Thing") fiancé character all but disappears, as he has to be one of the most bland such creations to hit the screen in some time.
The only fresh bit of comedic air is from Wanda Sykes ("Pootie Tang," "Down to Earth") who plays the sarcastically opinionated assistant to Fonda's over the top antagonist. Given some of the film's best lines, Sykes seems to be having fun in the role and her character is entertainingly infectious. Unfortunately, she's just a third banana, leaving Lopez and Fonda to generate the laughs (although Elaine Stritch is a hoot in an extended cameo toward the end that all but insures a sequel should this film do well at the box office).
If such familial conflict is going to be the main attraction in a film like this, it had either be really funny and clever, or downright nasty in a black comedy sort of way. While occasionally amusing, it's never terribly imaginative, and for those expecting an in-law version of "The War of the Roses," they'll likely be disappointed as the vindictiveness never really gets down and dirty (a bit playing with a character's food allergies goes in that direction, but stands out in the wrong way since the rest of the material here isn't potentially fateful).
Thus, without much bark or bite, the film simply goes through its motions, sporadically generating some laughs. Yet, there aren't enough of them to overcome the various deficiencies and problems on hand. "Monster-in-Law" rates as a 4 out of 10.
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