Monster-in-Law (PG-13)

I’m going to tell you straight up. I always have a hard time separating Jennifer Lopez the person from the characters she plays. Something about Jenny From the Block refuses to allow my brain to give in to the obvious fact that on-screen, she is actually playing a character. In “Monster-In-Law,” she plays a dog-walking waitress with a heart of gold. Seriously? JLO? Walking dogs?

“Monster-in-Law” saw Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda—or to all you old timers out there, Hanoi Jane—team up for this monster of a romantic comedy. 165 critics on Rotten Tomatoes be damned. 18% only makes it more appealing of a watch. It’s so relatable as a concept. We all have been like, “Jesus Christ, I gotta meet the parents!” And even if Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro perfected the art of this very concept only a very short few years earlier, JLO really hit it out of the park on this one.

Jane Fonda is a terrific as the manic, raging mother. Recently forced from her great career and replaced by a younger person, the comedy hijinks really explodes out of her. Wanda Sykes is a treasure throughout. You could put all of her lines on a loop and just play it for me and I will laugh non-stop and her ridiculousness.

The relationship with in-laws can no doubt be tricky. What I love about Jennifer Lopez in this film (outside of her awe shucks look) is how well she handles the role of the one being dragged down. It’s interesting and makes me wonder how many lovers failed to end up together due to meddling parents? I bet a bunch.

The movie moves quickly throughout its different setups, and mostly pay off. The allergic reaction proves to be the best of the bunch—try and make JLO unattractive. You can’t. You’ve got a better chance of making Jane Fonda likable on film (unfortunately you failed there also; but at least you gave it the old college try).

I haven’t said much about Michael Vartan. Yeah, yeah, I hear the resounding, “Who?”—everyone reading this is yelling at their phone right now; so in the sense of good fun, I’ll leave it there. “Monster-In-Law” is a fun movie with a lot of heart. As far as date night movies, you can do far far worse. If on Valentine’s Day, your partner’s love don’t cost a thing, why not treat them to this classic!