Playlist: Jennifer's Body

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much from this going in and it turned out far, far worse than I could have imagined. My guess is that it was intended to be a hip horror parody, but plays as just dull, straightforward genre filler.

The draw here, of course, is supposed to be star Megan Fox. One of the reasons I wanted to see this was that I haven't actually seen her in anything despite the fact that I've seen her everywhere else. Verdict? Shockingly, I don't think she has much range as an actress--I warned you it was shocking. That said, I felt she was actually under-minded by the script. It's the brainchild of writer Diablo Cody, fresh off winning a screenwriting Oscar for Juno (but mainly for having the titillating back-story of being a one time stripper), and it is flat-out terrible, overwritten and simply nonsensical at times. There's not even any camp value and even though I watched the "Unrated" version, there wasn't even any gratuitous nudity. I know. Wait, worst offense of all--inexcusable, really: casting the hysterical Amy Sedaris and then only giving her a handful of throwaway lines. Someone please explain the point of this movie?

Here's an example of why I so dislike this script:
Jennifer (Fox) goes off with a rock band in a shady van. Her BFF, Needy (Amanda Seyfried) is worried and calls her boyfriend.

Boyfriend: Did you get the make and model?
Needy: I don't know, Chip. An '89 Rapist?

This is one of those minor gripes that is easily overlooked but has a way of sitting with you for whatever reason. It just felt like Cody had that punchline first and then made the boyfriend set it up with a question a teenage boy wouldn't think of asking. The whole script felt that way: like a series of clever one-liners strung together to fill 100 pages. Except without the clever.