|
Tuesday, 15 August 2006 02:47 |
The Ivan Reitman-directed comedy manages to sap the charm from everyone in its cast, all of whom have shone quite brightly in other settings. America's reigning superheroes need not fear the competition; "Super Ex" likely will stall without leaping tall buildings or scaling boxoffice heights.
The title role, theoretically, is a perfect fit for Uma Thurman, who in recent outings has created a vengeful uber-vixen ("Kill Bill") as well as full-blooded, vulnerable women ("Prime"). But here, as both fearless G-Girl and bespectacled Jenny Johnson, she's an unconvincing, ill-at-ease cartoon. Her leading man, Luke Wilson, is a wan washout in the poorly conceived part of Matt Saunders, an architect with a history of crazy exes. He comes to the rescue of Jenny (think a less-sexy version of Toni Collette in "In Her Shoes") after she is robbed by a subway thief. Her inner blonde, G-Girl -- what it stands for is left to viewer interpretation, and ultimately is less burning a question than the all-encompassing "What were they thinking?" -- is weary of saving humanity solo, and she sparks to his heroic gesture.
Jenny, whose Clark Kent guise is that of an assistant curator at an art gallery, picks up signs of danger through a kind of X-ray hearing. This happens mid-curry on her first date with Matt, at an Indian restaurant, and after excusing herself for a trip to the restroom, she saves a building from fire and returns to the table with soot on her chin. G-Girl, who rarely dates, is not very cool about the mechanics of this double life, an endearing idea whose potential comedy, like that of many things here, is squandered.
Despite clear indications of how clingy and controlling Jenny is, Matt, who is schlepping his own relationship baggage, falls for her -- a woman who interrupts their first kiss to critique his tongue technique. Let's not get started on what havoc Miss I Don't Know My Own Strength wreaks in the bedroom. And that's when she likes him. It gets uglier. Jenny picks up on the unacknowledged attraction between Matt and his colleague Hannah (Anna Faris). He wakes up and smells the lunatic and ends the relationship with Jenny. Cue the rampage.
Screenwriter Don Payne, a writer-producer of "The Simpsons," here skips the cutting-edge smarts, opting instead for a coarse sitcom. Whatever kernels of humor his dialogue might contain, every scene is a nonstarter, and it's doubtful that less-clunky direction would have made much difference. By the time the only sympathetic character, Faris' Hannah, shouts, "Why did G-Girl throw a shark at us?" audiences might wonder why the filmmakers didn't toss in a murderous kitchen sink while they were at it.
What they do throw into the mix are Wanda Sykes' uninspired turn as Matt's boss; Rainn Wilson ("The Office") in the de rigueur love-'em-and-leave-'em Vince Vaughn role (his character's name is Vaughn, wink-wink); and Eddie Izzard, wearing an ascot and chagrined what-am-I-doing-here gaze, as archvillain Professor Bedlam.
From the ultraobvious musical cues to the wow-less FX and uneasy performances, there's not a drop of wonder or suspense in this lead-footed fantasy. The only touch of whimsy belongs to production designer Jane Musky's luxe digs for G-Girl -- apparently there's good money in the superhero trade.
Director: Ivan Reitman
Screenwriter: Don Payne
Producers: Gavin Polone, Arnon Milchan
Executive producer: Bill Carraro
Director of photography: Don Burgess
Production designer: Jane Musky
Music: Teddy Castellucci
Costume designer: Laura Jean Shannon
Editors: Sheldon Kahn, Wendy Green Bricmont
Cast:
Jenny Johnson/G-Girl: Uma Thurman
Matt Saunders: Luke Wilson
Hannah Lewis: Anna Faris
Vaughn Haige: Rainn Wilson
Professor Bedlam/Barry: Eddie Izzard
Carla Dunkirk: Wanda Sykes
|
Hollywood Movies 
