Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-15 23:27:29

Isn't perfect, but still good.

Is Monster-In-Law original? No, not really. Dos it feel like a TV sitcom pilot? Yes, yes it does. Is it predictable? Yup. Sure is. But despite all of this, the movie works because it is consistently funny. Kevin, is bringing home his new girlfriend, Charlotte, better known as "Charlie" to meet his mom, once popular talk show host, Viola. But his mother's assistant, Ruby tells him its not a good idea, becuase his mother just got out of the "funnyfarm", after attacking a 16 year old singer on her talk show. But Kevin brings Charlie home anyway. And as fate would have it, his mother hates her. Thus beginning a war hillariously evil war between the two. Monster in Law, is a consistently hillarious laugh riot, and that is why the movie soars so high. The behaviour between Lopez, and Fonda is wildly far fetched. But once again, I think the execution of this movie was very well done. Jane Fonda give a very inspired performance, and Jennifer Lopez is innocently funny. But its Wanda Sykes who plays Ruby who definatly steals the movie.Monster in Law may feel like a sitcom pilot some too people, and others may finds it extremely stupid, and predictable. But there is no denying that is a fun, and funny movie. It simply comes down to whether you like it or not. 7.5/10

dianawannabe1129 2013-05-15 12:27:48

Another great romantic comedy

I rented this movie for viewing last night, and I liked it. JenniferLopez is a great actress, and she handles the role of Charlie well.Wanda Sykes is the funniest character as Ruby, Viola's assistant.Michael Vartan, most critics have said, is bland, but he does have asemi-strong role as Kevin. I haven't seen many Jane Fonda movies, butFonda is good as Viola. She energizes the screen, and does her jobwell. Ebert and Roeper didn't like this movie, but they don't like alot of the movies that I like. Lopez, like Charlie, is fun, tough, andstrong, and she even pokes a bit of fun at herself. All in all, thismovie is a great romantic comedy, one of the funniest I have seen inyears.

vilen76 2013-05-11 09:16:39

Watch This Movie

I never expected it, but this movie made me laugh almost as hard aswhen I watched Eddie Murphy's "Raw" for the first time. This is a moviethat's on the soft side, but a great one none the less, with fantasticperformances by all. Well acted and absolutely hilarious!! I almostfeel dumb for saying that about a movie in this genre, But It's True.Wanda Sykes....should still have her own TV show, because she's a biginfluence on the tongue'n cheek comedic experience that this movie hasto offer, but so's Jane and Jenn, and not in that order..... Great DateFlick!!Watch it, u won't be sad u did.I promise.If u happen to be saddened by this movie, send me an Email, and I'llsend u an octopus, granted I have one in stock, and I promise, thatwill suck, unlike this movie.

2013-05-10 20:19:17

hilarious!

First of all i was expecting another J.Lo movie... yes a flop of course... but i must say i was taken aback from the performance given by Ms. Lopez and Ms. Fonda. A great team, the combination of both ladies made the movie come to life! Great comedy and "love" flick... Kept me laughing the whole time and guessing to see who was going to do what next~ :) I suggest this movie to anyone soon to be married and to those who arent... great film for all.

MICHAEL O'FARRELL 2013-04-26 00:42:43

Jane Fonda's Bittersweet Return To The Screen

Jane Fonda is one of the great stars in the Hollywood firmament. Abeautiful woman and gifted actress, the motion picture camera has beenan unflinching repository for her acting genius. Even in her lesserfilms Fonda always revealed a spark of creativity that oftendistinguished her from most of her acting contemporaries. With 6Academy Award nominations to her credit and 2 Oscar wins for BestActress, her legacy is firmly established. How sad it is then to reportthat her return to the screen after a 15 year hiatus is squandered on awretchedly written, clumsily directed romantic comedy that is anembarrassment for not only Fonda but a talented supporting cast."Monster-in-Law" represents what seems to be an increasingly genericbrand of comedy. Gone are the days of sharply observant romanticentertainments when writers knew where to throw in a bit of farce oradd a dollop of cynicism. Directors such as Billy Wilder and PrestonSturges along with writers I.A.L. Diamond and Fay and Michael Kaninknew how to put an effective story together even if in hindsight theplausibility of the tale was suspect. Most contemporary movies are acompletely different animal. Character motivation and good storytellinghave been replaced by gross caricature and "connect-the-dots",formulaic writing that is as predictable as it is depressing."Monster-in-Law" takes many of its cues from an earlier Fonda comedy,the lamentable 1981 burlesque, "9 to 5". In that film three beleagueredsecretaries wreak havoc on their sexist boss. The story was treated aspure farce and was marginally entertaining at best. There have been ascore of "dumbed-down" comedies since. Unfortunately movie audiencesseem easily pleased by this new comedy hybrid.In "Monster-in-Law" Jane Fonda plays veteran television interviewerViola Fields, a Diva from Hell who is determined to break up theimpending marriage of her handsome, vacuous son (an L.A. surgeon) toCharlotte "Charlie" Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez), an office temp, parttime caterer and dog walker. What starts out as only a mere semblanceto reality quickly deteriorates into the most puerile farce imaginablesoon after Viola makes her entrance. Viola is a psychotic mixture ofbrass balls and vulnerability and Ms. Fonda plays her to the hilt. Herstar wattage is undeniable but this is not a particularly goodperformance. Most of the fault lies with Anya Kocheff's execrablescreenplay and Robert Luketic's sledgehammer direction. Rationality isthrown out the window for the witless line and easy laugh. Only WandaSykes emerges relatively unscathed playing Viola's sarcastic assistant.Her Ruby is the one genuinely funny character in the movie. Otherwise"Monster-in-Law" is a mess and possibly the worst movie of Jane Fonda'scareer.

DA-HORN 2013-04-25 15:45:08

"Funnier than expected"

I must admit, this movie was funnier than I thought it would be thanksto Jane Fonda and Wanda Sykes! Honestly speaking, they could've gottenanyone to play Jennifer Lopez's role and it still would've been funny!Jane Fonda has returned like never before and hopefully will continueto do more movies now! Wanda Sykes is just being Wanda(incredible)!J-Lo is still boring to watch on screen, she has yet to show that shedeserves to be a star in movies, she should stay with music, it suitsher better! For all of you wives and wives to be out there that feelthat your now or soon to be mother-in-law doesn't like you to much,this is a movie for the two of you to go see together, it might make adifference! Monster-in-law shows what you can do with a simple idea andthe right actors! If you don't laugh while watching this film, seekprofessional help because there is something seriously wrong in yourlife! A winning longshot!

2013-04-11 15:57:04

Fun farce.

I don't like Jane Fonda because of her political views. However, there is no doubt that she is a talented actress and in this lightweight farce, she pretty much is the show. Fonda, an aging Barbara Walters TV personality type, is set out to pasture for being too old - and too crazy. Her sendup of a vapid talking head interviewing an even more vapid Britney Spears kind of pop tart is absolutely hilarious. Fonda's son, Michael Vartan has found the girl of his dreams, played by Jennifer Lopez. Both Vartan and Lopez both get billing over Fonda, but their performances are lightweight. Fonda, as the potential mother-in-law doesn't want her son to marry and sets out to derail the marriage. Her attempts are hilarious and much of the script focuses on good comedy and not a little slapstick. Wanda Syke's plays Fonda's long suffering assistant. She's good, but the character isn't all that believable. Of course, that is true for all the characters. Anyway, Fonda and Lopez engage in an all-out war and get a lot of laughs in the process. This movie is strictly for fun. It has no message. Just lean back, munch some popcorn and enjoy, particularly Fonda's performance.Jerry

2013-04-11 15:00:20

Lopez and Fonda Put Up a Good Fight...

As I went into the film I wasn't too overexcited or anything being that it was my girlfriend's pick, since we went to Kingdom Of Heaven last week. However I was pleasently surprised on how funny this movie actually was not because of Lopez or Fonda but because of Wanda Sykes. The one time stand up comedian who also starred in Down To Earth with Chris Rock had me laughing almost the entire time. While Lopez and Fonda had there moments as well whenever they would catfight. For example when Fonda would often imagine doing something terrible to Lopez, like smashing her face in a cake. Or when Fonda would smart off calling Lopez fat and than Lopez firing back saying there's always Lypo Suction. But besides that there are also a few melo dramatic parts for those people who like drama. So in the end as I walked out the theatre I have to see as an overall movie it was pretty good but as a chick flick an instant classic. **** 1/2 stars out of 5, Recommendation if you liked Meet The Parents with Ben Stiller and De'Niro your going to Monster In Law with Jennifer Lopez and Fonda.

metro_man89 2013-04-10 16:56:32

I hope my mother in law is nice

This was a very enjoyable movie. From start to finish I was having agreat time. J Lo (as usual) was great, she portrayed the role of a niceperson with limits, I mean shes really sweet and you see her portraythis but there are some scenes where she is just evil, and I found itreally funny. When I think of J Lo, I think of a romantic comedy.However in this movie it's a lot more comedy acting from J Lo insteadof romantic, the romance is in it (so don't worry girls) but I foundthat J Lo is a really good comedy actor And then there is Wanda Sykes,she had me in stitches throughout the whole movie, however the reasonit got a 6 was because I felt it was a bit repetitive. I mean JaneFonda is great but she just screams her way throughout the whole movie,its just like "Home and Alone", constant pranks to get the bad guys,but overall it is a good laugh. And all I can say to Jane Fondais...welcome back

DarkVulcan29 2013-04-10 07:39:22

Forget GUESS WHO, no I mean it, forget GUESS WHO.

Because this movie was a laugh riot from start to finish. Somethingthat the movie Guess Who was not, Guess Who was annoying from start tofinish. This movie had a wonderful cast, that all beautiful and comedicchemistry with each other. Like Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, WandaSykes, all played off each other so well. The movie starts withCharlotte(Jennifer Lopez), an everyday single woman, who makes a livingbeing a dog walker. And thinks she will never find true love. Until shemeets Dr.Kevin Fields(Michael Vartan) and they begin a descentrelationship. That all seems like a fairy tale, until he brings her tomeet his famous mother named Viola(The Very funny Jane Fonda), but forsome reasons of her own, Viola does not like her. And will go to greatlengths to ruin there relationship, much of the dismay of herassistant(Wanda Sykes who also very funny). An enjoyable slap stickcomedy. I'm glad it was not predictable as some movies like this wouldseem. Michael Vartan was good for what was giving of him in this movie.If you are in the mood for a laughing good time, then give this movie atry.

allaboutlana 2013-04-08 11:14:13

"Monster-in-Law" isn't That Bad

Jennifer Lopez finds her man in Michael Vartan. The only catch is thathis mother, Jane Fonda, comes with the package, who turns out to be amonster-in-law. What's interesting is that she really isn't a mean orcantankerous person. All of her shenanigans are due to her somewhatpossessiveness of her son and her fear of losing him when he marries,which is in fact a very real part of life for most mothers. What mostmothers don't do is what follows. She in turn tries to terrorizeJennifer and keep her from marrying into the family.The movie does supply about three or four good belly laughs in herattempts to drive her crazy (and Jennifer's revenge), but the wholefilm seems to rely on cheap laughs and over-the-top antics in order toentertain the viewer. An added plus is Wanda Sykes delivering some ofthe film's best lines. And, Elaine Stritch is good as Jane'smother-in-law from a previous marriage, who enters at the tail end ofthe movie.Considering this was Jane Fonda's comeback film after years inretirement, she should have found a better vehicle for her talents. Butthat fact notwithstanding, if you're looking for a laugh-out-loud film,you have to see this at least once. I have to like any film, to someextent, that makes me laugh out loud. Just recognize the signs here, soyou'll know a "monster-in-law" when you see one.

greatbritain1989 2013-04-07 22:46:33

Jennifer is slowly learning to nail the romcom formula but welcome back Jane!

Well this Rom-Com was advertised as special, mainly because Jane Fonda(autobiography and all) was back after her last film, 1990's Stanleyand Iris. Clearly Jennifer is the actress that forever is mentioned inthe razzie awards and has a vast collection of films that have floppedin a row. Jane however is double Oscar winning and should be the starof the film. She is extremely extrovert whereas Jennifer is close tounderstanding the Rom-Com style and is amiable in this film. Not badentertainment, Fonda is very good indeed, however i didn'tlike/understand the one-dimensional character played by Michael Vartan.I think that at the age of growth wouldn't you choose three dimensionalcharacters. Oh well i think you should go for a more accurate viewpoint of thisfilm. Maybe the rating is because of Fonda's political ambitions orbecause Jennifer Lopez can star in some terrible films. Basically i have to say welcome back Jane. 15 years is a long time andwith a little bit of luck maybe you could find a script worthy of adeserved third Oscar. Who knows. Well welcome back Jane. Enjoy

2013-03-21 09:54:28

Monster-In-Law

Funny, Jane was as great and graceful as always; it was great to see her act again! The plot was hysterical - we all laughed and laughed!

2013-03-20 14:45:04

I love JLO!!!

I love this movie!! the movie is very funny, aggressive, and lovely. And the end was so romatic. Charlie and Kevin got married. Buy this!! You will love it!

2013-03-18 09:31:07

4-stars for star power and a hellava try

I couldn't shake the feeling that the film was semi-autobiographical. Hey, Vartan is Jennifer Garner's ex-boyfriend and Lopez is Affleck's ex-fiancee ... am I the only one who mentions this? It seems odd.And the lines delivered at the end where the grandmother tells Lopez, 'You are a beautiful, exotic, latina bride and my grandson is lucky to have you'!! Come on folks. One can't help but wonder if Affleck's friends and family never thought hispanic Lopez was good enough for their Boston whitebread son. Everyone did a good job with the material. But basically the actors had no chemistry with one another. Michael Vartan was perfectly cast as the doctor love interest, Jane Fonda is the perfect vixen mother-in-law, and Jennifer Lopez was believable as the girlfriend.But somehow the whole setup wasn't believable. Maybe Lopez seemed "tired" in the filming. She didn't have her usual intensity in her acting. Lopez is radiantly beautiful and Vartan is adorable and Fonda is very interesting. So see the movie and enjoy Wanda Sykes' funny lines too.

2013-03-18 03:56:46

Jane Fonda Still Has the Magic in Average Comedy...

Through marriage, many acquire an extended family, which can be one of two things - likeable or unwanted. The horror stories of the in-laws are a common myth, which even made it to the silver screen through the entertaining Meet the Parents (2000), and the sequel Meet the Fockers (2004). One thing that is certain when directing a comedy with the intention of approaching the in-laws is that it has to focus on satire. In Monster-in-Law the viewers will receive a spoof of the in-law situation from the perspective of a woman.The goodhearted Charlotte 'Charlie' Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) bumps into Dr. Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan) on the beach where both exchange extended looks. A couple of hours later she runs into him in a coffee shop. Amazed by the encounters, the superstitious Charlie tells her two best friends about the man she has seen. On a later occasion, she meets Kevin for a third time, and this time they introduce themselves to each other. The rest is rather self-explanatory, until the audience meets Kevin's mother, Viola Fields (Jane Fonda).The seven times nominated and two time Oscars winner - Jane Fonda - for best actress returns to the silver screen after 15 years of absence. Fonda's performance is as usual-brilliant, and it is clear that she has not lost her step while absent. Here in Monster-in-Law she plays a laid-off talk show hostess with an age phobia that has flared out into a psychotic neurosis. After the character's introduction, Viola is released from a mental institution after having assaulted a Britney Spears look-alike after having found out that the television network has released her. Still unstable, she learns about her son's engagement to Charlie, which triggers a regression into her psychotic neurosis.The film focuses on Viola's psychopathic approach to Charlie, as she attempts to break up the engagement before the upcoming wedding. Through violent fits and malignant words, Viola begins to affect Charlie who gives her best effort to make her future husband happy by enduring the abusive presence of her future mother-in-law. It is in these satirical moments where the film falters, as the language and jokes are a little too pleasant for the nature of the story. However, Wanda Sykes steps in and saves some comic moments with her supporting part, as Viola's assistant Ruby. Despite Sykes' presence and Fonda's radiant performance, the film does not reach the potential the story possesses.Monster-in-Law has the foundation and cast for a terrific comedy, but does not reach its potential. Several aspects of the film could be improved, but it is too late, as the film has already reached the shelves of the video stores. The major setback is the poor use of satire, as it becomes too nice to be funny. However, enough laughter, smiles, and a little bit of drama surface in the film in order to keep the viewer's interest. The greatest injustice in the film is how Fonda returns to the silver screen in a mediocre film, as she has the talent help make good films great. In retrospect, Fonda, Lopez, and Sykes converge in an average film without much nourishment for the thoughtful, as the satire misfires.

I_HEART_MOVIES 2013-03-13 15:46:04

this movies WAS funny, worth watching

I saw this movie with my wife last sunday, and let me tell you, I was laughing my @ss off. I really liked Jlo's acting in this movie, it wasn't the sexy cop, or the hot lesbian, or the maid in manhattan, it was just a normal pretty gal looking for love, I have to say it was funny from the start, but when the soon to be mother in law comes in to play it gets really good. I dont understand why everyone always wants to rag on jlo's movies, sure shes done afew movies we'd like to forget but not all of them, back to the point. This is a good movie to go and watch with you friends, on a date, even with the family. Its funny you'll like it, you'll laugh, you'll have a good time.

2013-03-13 08:53:34

Formulaic, but worth it for Fonda & Sykes

A dear friend of mine who's usually right on about recommending movies to me failed me with this one. He was right on one point, well two points...Jane Fonda and Wanda Sykes, both a lot of fun here in Monster-in-Law. It's just what you'd expect...a mother-in-law-to-be (Fonda) has a hard time accepting that her only son is getting married and decides to make the bride-to-be's life (played by Lopez) a living hell, with the help of her sarcastic assistant (Sykes). I really cannot stand Jennifer Lopez at all, but my friend insisted I give the movie a chance and at least watch it. So watch I did, and I really tried to be objective about it, but Lopez was just trying to hard to fit into this role, much like she tries to hard to fit into a dress during the movie, which in fact was quite amusing. What saved this movie for me were the performances of Fonda and Sykes in this. Both were wonderfully funny and helped me to be a little less annoyed by Lopez. So, if you like the sound of the plot and you like your movies to come with happy sweet endings, well you will enjoy Monster-in-Law more than I did.

2013-03-13 07:59:02

1 star of course

the good......the director will never make another movie.the bad.....the extremely bad is.....j-lo will.

JulieBird 2013-03-12 22:12:13

I saw it yesterday

I saw a sneak peak of this yesterday in New York and it was reallyfunny! (The movie was actually sold out and I didn't hear one negativecomment as I was leaving!) I was a little leery of the movie, but Iliked Jane in Barefoot in the Park and loved Jennifer in the WeddingPlanner, so I thought I would give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised!Jennifer and Jane were great, I couldn't think of two better people forthese roles. The best part was that they were able to poke fun atthemselves. The whole place was in stitches! Michael Vartan, waswonderful, as always, as the good guy but Wanda Sykes stole EVERY sceneshe was in!