Plot: What’s it about?
I think I’ve said this in a previous review of a Jennifer Lopez movie, but…I just fail to see the appeal with her. Yes, she’s talented and yes I realize that she’s made a name for herself but I just do not see what the allure is with this woman. She’s had some good films and both “Anaconda” and “Out of Sight” are high on my list (for totally opposite reasons, naturally) but I hardly credit her as the reason why I like them so much. Lopez really made a name for herself in the mid 90’s with “Selena” and from there; she’s essentially been a household name. Not a name spoken in my house, but a household name nonetheless. At the turn of the century, it seemed that Lopez wanted to focus on her lighter side and made several romantic comedies like “The Wedding Planner”, “Maid in Manhattan” and of the course the daddy of them all – “Gigli.” About six years have passed since the aforementioned movie and Lopez is giddy as a schoolgirl in her latest movie “The Back-Up Plan.” Can leopards change their spots?
Lopez stars as Zoe, a former corporate go-getter who’s given up the fast-paced lifestyle in favor of owning a pet shop. She’s dated, according to her, hundreds of men in search of a husband but has yet to find “Mr. Right.” Her biological clock is ticking, to say the very least, and she’s now resorted to artificial insemination. As fate would have it she hails a cab and meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) who hails the same cab. After a brief war of words, the two seem to keep bumping into one another and a spark is lit. As the two get to know one another and the relationship starts to bloom, Zoe is with child. So what to do, what to do? Does Zoe drop the bomb and risk losing the one man who might actually work or does she not tell him and nature will inevitably take its course?
“The Back-Up Plan” isn’t a terribly bad movie; in fact I think it’s one that some people probably love. It came out in late spring and it’s got that “Love is in the air” feeling to it, which seems to happen every year. The movie is about as predictable as they come, even when Zoe is talking to herself in the mirror saying such a telegraphed line like “I’m pregnant.” So if you’re looking for the same old thing, then by all means give this a shot. If you’re a fan of Jennifer Lopez, well there’s plenty of her here and for everyone else, well there are other movies out there. I don’t imagine that I’ll give this another viewing anytime soon, so that right there should sum it up. To put things in perspective, I watched “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” after I finished this to, you know, laugh.
Video: How does it look?
“The Back-Up Plan” hits Blu-ray in a spectacular 2.40:1 AVC HD transfer that, quite simply, rocks. Colors are bold and vibrant, New York City looks as pristine as it can and detail level is amazing. I kept trying to find a fault with the image, but really didn’t have any luck. Granted this is a new to Blu-ray movie and we would expect a good-looking transfer, but this is nothing short of perfection. Sadly, I wish this type of transfer would grace some other films but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose.
Audio: How does it sound?
The DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack is pretty consistent with other films of the genre (that would be the “romantic comedy” genre) and really didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. The dialogue, painful as it is to listen to, is very strong and this is consistent with other vocals throughout. The ambiance is light and airy again, consistent with a movie of this genre. Surrounds don’t put out much during the film and most all of the action is limited to the front three channels. This wasn’t a total letdown, because I was expecting as much but don’t plan on being blown away by the audio, because I assure you that you won’t be.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Supplements-wise, we don’t have a lot to choose from here. There are some deleted scenes, a making of featurette entitled “Belly Laughs” (get it) and the disc is MovieIQ enhanced which, when enabled, has some factoids about the stars, the shoot and of course New York City.
