Review: JENNIFER'S BODY

Movie: Jennifer's Body
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use
Running Time: 102 minutes
Stars: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody
Writer: Diablo Cody
Director: Karyn Kusama

Shortly after the 2007 release of "Juno", Diablo Cody was called the next big thing in screenwriting. A few months later she won the best original screenplay Oscar and began writing a once-a-month column in Entertainment Weekly. "Jennifer's Body" is the second movie she's written and well, it's definitely not up to the standards she set with "Juno".

We all know the plot already, the main character Jennifer (played without an inch of emotion or acting ability by Megan "Needs To Be Eaten By A" Fox) goes to a show at a local bar with her friend Needy (the horribly named character played much better by Amanda Seyfried) and is kidnapped by the band after for some stupid reason, the place burns down and they're some of the few survivors. Little does she know she's been kidnapped by a devil-worshipping band who's front man (Adam Brody) sacrifices her but doesn't kill her. A demon possesses her and she begins killing every teenage boy who comes into contact with her.

I was not really expecting too much from this movie after seeing the trailers, but I did not expect such a mediocre flick. Cody's writing has deteriorated into cliches and unfunny catch phrases (i.e. describing a guy as "super salty") that filled the first 20 or 30 minutes of "Juno" and I'm sure will become a big hit with the 14-year old girls who will enjoy the film. The story also is not that good either and filled with further cliches (the dumb parents and teachers, the skeptical boyfriend). The directing and look of the movie are typical horror movie low budget and are both serviceable. The acting isn't great either. Megan Fox is not only a very unattractive human being (inside and out) but how she got into acting is beyond me (wait, then again it probably involves some favors, of the sexual kind). She delivers her lines as if reading them from Post-Its that are hanging on walls around her. I really hope she stops getting jobs and goes far far away for a long time. Amanda Seyfried (who deserves better movies than this) does what she has to and collects a paycheck. Adam Brody, who I've loved ever since "The O.C." gets a fairly meaty sized role here but doesn't do much other than brood and feign sympathy, he also deserves better movies. To me one of the biggest wastes though is J.K. Simmons ("Juno", the "Spider-Man" trilogy). He is in only a handful of scenes but the scenes that he is in are the best, especially with the Donald Sutherland in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" wig and hook hand that he sports the entire flick. Why he isn't headlining more movies is beyond me, the guy's amazing.

I hope Diablo Cody takes some time to write her next script and focus on it being good and not her trademark, "faux-wittiness". This is one of those movies I'd recommend waiting for a discount theater or DVD to see. It's not worth $10 a ticket plus concessions. Plus, maybe if we don't support the film, Megan Fox will just disappear from the atmosphere for good.

The film gets 1 out of 5 stars.