Loaded Couch Potatoes

The makers of Juno return with a new horror-comedy that is now in theaters. Is it something to sink your teeth into or will it leave you lifeless? *Spoilers Ahead*

To catch you up to speed, here’s a plot synopsis: After an unfortunate night in the woods with a mysterious indie rock band, Jennifer (Megan Fox) isn’t the person she used to be. She’s kinda bitchy, extremely flirtatious…and oh yeah, she’s now possessed by a demon which maked her kill boys.  Gore, Guts, Music, and Lesbianism ensue. Her best friend, “Needy” Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried), a plain-Jane nerd must figure out a way to stop Jennifer before she kills the rest of the boys in their small town of Devil’s Kettle.

First off, the film is not terrible. Absolutely ridiculous, but at least it’s entertaining and can keep you interested, unlike Fox’s previous movie of the year Transformers. It’s one of those movies that knows it’s ridiculous and doesn’t expect the audience to think anything otherwise.

Diablo Cody, who also wrote the smash-hit Juno, seems as if she is trying to be the female John Hughes; she is taking high school experiences and telling them with a remarkable sense of sincerity and relatibility. Needy is the girl who wants to be friends with Jenniger so much, she’s willing to do anything she asks.  Hardly anyone wants her, except for her devoted boyfriend Chip. Jennifer, on the other, can have any boy she wants but teases to a great extent, before she, y’know, eats them. Ahh, the memories of high school…

As far as the acting goes, there is really only one terrible performance in the movie: Megan Fox. She’s never really had to actually act before, and it’s evident in her performance. She’s always gonna be the eye candy in every movie she does until her career fizzles out in about five years and she will no longer be relevant. After seeing this movie, I kinda can’t wait for that day to come.

That’s not to say no one else did a good job in this movie. Amanda Seyfried is pitch-perfect in her role. She knows exactly how to carry herself and what goes into a character, because she’s never been in Megan Fox’s position. And she’s still hot, even with the nerd-girl persona.

The supporting cast has much smaller roles except for Chip, Needy’s loving boyfriend, who also does a great job. By far, my favorite performance was from that of J.K. Simmons, who played Juno’s father. He returns as a curly haired, hook-handed teacher who sounds like he’s related to Sarah Palin. His is a very entertaining and humorous role.

The biggest surprise was Adam Brody’s performance as the lead singer of Low Shoulder. While it very obviously isn’t him singing, he turns in a very solid performance, which I thought he wouldn’t do. Well played, Mr. Brody. Well played.

There are many flaws with the movie though. Diablo struck gold with the cutesy and quirky dialogue of Juno, but that strategy doesn’t work here. She tried to infuse nearly every line of dialogue with the same material, and many times, it falls flat. The movie is funny, but often it’s not because of the dialogue.

Also, I’m not sure of the budget on this film, but most of the set looks like it was ripped out of Twilight. There are certain scenes that are shot with the same dark, brooding style as the vampire flick. And, there are a few set pieces that look exactly like it, too. So much so, that for a minute or two, you might catch yourself asking, “When did this turn into a movie about Edward and Bella?”

Overall, it’s a pretty solid attempt at horror-comedy. However, it’s not one of those that deserves more than one viewing. Most people are gonna see this in the hopes of seeing Megan Fox naked anyway (Sorry, guys, doesn’t happen). I think that it will capture enough an audience to have everyone talking this weekend though. I’m gonna go with an 8/10 for this one.

Ahh, what the heck. I’ll even throw up one more picture of Fox for you. Have fun, you crazy pervs!