Monster In Law Movie Review: By Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com

Monster-In-Law will emerge as a hit, I have no doubt about that much. Particularly given that it’s coming out on the heals of Mother’s Day. And in fact, my wife and I took in a special sneak preview on Mother’s Day. What did I think of the movie? Well, it didn’t suck, but then again I went in with expectations a few notches below zero.

In the comedy, Jennifer Lopez plays the sweet natured Charlotte, a woman of many trades (artist, dog walker etc.). After a fair share of unsuccessful relationships, she finally meets the man of her dreams, surgeon Kevin Fields (played by Alias’ Michael Vartan). The two hit it off immediately, and after what appears to be a pretty short courtship, the two lovebirds decide they want to get married. This does not sit well with Kevin’s meddling shrew of a mother Viola (played by veteran Jane Fonda – back after a near fifteen year hiatus). Alone and bored, Viola fears the loss of her son and opts to wage a war of sorts against an unsuspecting Charlotte in a feeble attempt to nix the nuptuals. At first, Charlotte takes it on the chin, but then decides to fight back.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed the first half hour of this picture. Jennifer Lopez is quite endearing and thankfully, I was able to put aside my personal distaste for her. Michael Vartan is incredibly likable, and although his Kevin falls for Charlotte a little too quickly, I bought into the relationship because the two actors turn up the charm factor. Once Jane Fonda is thrown into the mix however, Monster-In-Law’s obvious sitcom roots begin to surface. Fonda is a seasoned pro, but because her role is written so far over-the-top, that’s how she plays it, and in the end, it didn’t work for me.

The fashion in which Viola tries to tear Charlotte down will amuse audiences almost as much as Charlotte’s eventual retaliation, but for this audience member, the mechanics and unsurprising nature of this J. Lo vs. J. Fo bout, is nothing more than a dull carbon copy of the similar events that occurred in Meet the Parents. The only difference is that in that picture, Ben Stiller didn’t appear all that interested in fighting back.

Once Monster-In-Law puts it’s sitcom premise into play (which constitutes a good three quarters of the film), it ditches the likability factor, and all the smarts I thought these characters initially had, immediately vanished. This is completely apparent, mostly in Vartan whose role becomes smaller as the film moves along. What’s really disheartening though is Kevin never once realizes that his mother is manipulating Charlotte, nor does he appear to have a clue when his future bride eventually turns the tables. I suppose I’m knit picking, I mean lets face it - the reason most people want to see this movie is to watch Fonda and Lopez get under each other’s skin. They don’t care about the other stuff.

I haven’t even mentioned the inclusion of supporting player Wanda Sykes who appears as Charlotte’s annoying live in maid. She spends most of the film working for the manipulative Viola even though she can’t stand her. Sykes isn’t so much a character as a gimmick to punch up the humor. That didn’t work for me either, because I didn’t find her particularly funny.

Monster-In-Law isn’t awful, but there isn’t anything particularly memorable about it either (unless you consider Charlotte’s allergic reaction to nuts memorable – I sure didn’t). The sad thing is it could have been a terrific entertainment. After all, it opens strong and you’d think that a veteran like Jane Fonda would take it to an even higher level. Unfortunately, it never rises above mere moderate sitcom fodder. Take your mom to see Fever Pitch instead.

Grade: C

Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com