Cinema Review: The Back-Up Plan.

Returning to acting, Jennifer Lopez returns to the big-screen for the first time since starring with hubbie, Marc Anthony, in El Cantante back in 2006. Unsurprisingly, it's a romcom. The Back-Up Plan is the latest to hit our screens, boasting, yet again, another fictionally-perfect romance.

Lopez stars as Zoe, a single, ex-business woman and now-owner of a quaint pet shop in New York City. Sadly, her life feels empty. Her answer? Artificial insemination. However, the day she's implanted with the seedlings of a red-headed stranger, she runs into cocky but charming Stan (Alex O'Loughlin). Will she tell him the truth?

Unless you're laying in a coma, completely unaware of the latest string of predictable, Hollywood romances, you know how this will end. However, knowing this from the get-go gives you the slight ease to enjoy the rest of the feature - for me, anyway.

The film, undoubtedly, is entirely uninspiring. There's nothing in this whatsoever which we haven't seen done a thousand times before, and most probably done better. The circumstances, the characters, it's all passed the point of clichéd that i've given into the fabricated romances and gone with the flow. After all, fluff such as The Back-Up Plan is made for women, and fellow homosexuals, who succumb to such desirable romances. Still, having made my point, JLo's recent feature wasn't a complete loss.

As soon as Alex O'Loughlin, and his enormous pectorals, are introduced, the chemistry is visible almost instantly. This, luckily, expands over the course of the film. Both actors are neither decent nor terrible, but simply watchable. Often helped by the partially-witty script (there are more misses than hits, but the hits overpower the misses), the stars battle through, leading to their predictable outcome - accompanied by JLo's handicapped dog which, in my opinion, stole the entire film.

In conclusion, The Back-Up Plan fits in nicely with the string of romcoms. If you can disregard how similar they all are, there's something to be enjoyed here. Whether it's the characters, the stars - who are, without a doubt, easy on the eyes - or simply the adorable Nutsy (the dog who i had an insane urge to call Ball Sack), just don't expect too much.

2.5/5