My Review: Jennifer`s Body (4/10)

(4/10) Jennifer`s Body was a huge dissapointment for me. I had very high expectations because of Diablo Cody who wrote one of my favorite movies in 2007, Juno. Her script was funny and Ellen Page really nailed her role in that movie thanks in most part to Cody`s writing which resulted in a perfect match. However, in this film the script simply didn`t work. Perhaps the actors didn`t do a good of a job as Ellen Page did with the script she had to work with, but I think this movie was just a mess and tried too hard at being something it wasn`t. Director Karyn Kusama mixed too many genres together and couldn`t decide what kind of movie she wanted to make. The result of the movie was just a mess, you didn`t know if you were supposed to laugh, be scared, or simply entertained because the film didn`t do any of these things for me. They simply tried too hard on trying to make this a cult film, but the movie fails to deliver and simply doesn`t know where to go. Kusama focused so much on trying to make this a different movie that she left out telling a good story. It doesn`t have enough gore to be a teen slasher film, it doesn`t have enough laughs to be a comedy, and it doesn`t have enough scares to be a horror movie.

One thing is for sure, Diablo Cody didn`t count with a talented cast as she did with Juno. Ellen Page was able to deliver her quirky dialogue to perfection and Jennifer Garner was great in her role as well. While in this film the script and the characters didn`t seem to belong together. Megan Fox plays Jennifer Check, a high school student from a small town called Devil`s Kettle. Her best friend from school is Needy Lesnicky (Amanda Seyfried from Mamma Mia) and they decide to go together to bar to listen to a up and coming band called Low Shoulder. Adam Brody plays the lead singer in a very unconvincing role. There is a huge fire in the bar during the concert and many people die, but Needy and Jennifer escape along with the band members. After the incident Jennifer decides to get in the van with the band ignoring her friend`s warning. Later that night Jennifer returns to Needy`s house all bloody and is acting very odd. This is were the action begins and the movie kind of gets lost. Megan Fox actually doesn`t have all that much screen time, the main character here is Needy and she is the one telling the story. Everyone know that Megan Fox isn`t famous for her acting skills, but she wasn`t bad in this film. Amanda Seyfried also was decent in her role, but the script simply didn`t work that well. I have to admit many of the lines are funny on paper, but they didn`t have that same effect on screen. J. K. Simmons who was Juno`s father in that movie, has a small role in this film as the sentimental high school professor and he was probably the funniest in the film.

Perhaps the high expectations I had for this movie killed it, but I ended up leaving the theater with a bad taste in my mouth. I just had finished watching Inglourious Basterds a few days before and loved that movie so much that I was hoping this one would also have the same effect. Diablo Cody took a huge step down from her previous movie and will have to do a lot better on her next project. There is no denying her scripts are funny and original, but she needs to make sure they adapt well to the characters. Some of those lines you just don`t expect coming from a teenage possesed girl. I wouldn`t reccomend this movie. If you haven`t seen Juno, go see that instead. Which reminds me the soudntrack in this film is not nearly have as good as the one in Juno either. I gave this film a 4 out 10 (the film is a 4 out of 10, Jessica`s Body actually is a 10 out of 10).