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Not even Jane Fonda can save 'Monster-In-Law'

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Maybe 60 really is the new 40.

At 67, Jane Fonda looks stunning in "Monster-in Law," a less-than-stunning comedy in which she plays Monster Dearest to Jennifer Lopez's blushing bride-to-be.

Why Fonda chose this embarrassing project for her first film in 15 years is, as they say, a puzzlement. She's the best thing in it; at times, it seems she's the only thing in it.

New Line Cinema

'Monster-In-Law'

D+

The verdict: With the exception of Jane Fonda's gallant performance, little works in this monstrously misconceived movie.

Director: Robert Luketic
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes, Monet Mazur
Run time: 95 minutes
Release date: May 13, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for sex references and language.
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Fonda brings her movie-star presence and her well-honed professionalism to a hopeless bit of drivel that doesn't deserve her. And she does so without any help from the script, the director, Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde"), or her co-stars — with the exception of the wonderful Wanda Sykes as her wisecracking personal assistant.

Fonda plays Viola Fields, a celebrated TV anchor in the Murphy Brown mode. Unceremoniously dumped by her network for a younger woman, Viola then loses it on-air when a Britney-clone says she really doesn't have an opinion on Roe v. Wade because she doesn't follow boxing. After trying to strangle her guest, Viola is shipped off to a fancy rehab center.

All this is a lame and overlong pretext to explain why Viola goes nuts when her her son the doctor — the brain surgeon — gets engaged to free-spirit Charlie (Lopez), an office temp/dog walker/artist.

Invoking the old T-shirt adage that when mama ain't happy, nobody's happy, the rest of the film's endless 95 minutes pits nasty Viola against nice-but-getting-nasty Charlie.

It's implied that mom may object to her prospective daughter-in-law because she's Latina and doesn't have a real job. However, given what we've seen of Viola as a world-famous journalist with a rainbow-coalition of VIP pals, that simply doesn't make sense. The woman we've met would be the opposite — overzealously interfering because she's so excited about having a bona fide unconventional person of color in her family.

That said, trying to apply logic to this idiotic trifle is like trying to groom a horsefly. Everything about "Monster-in-Law" is insultingly implausible, lamentably toothless and listlessly TV-sized. Michael Vartan ("Alias"), the son/fianc� in the middle, offers a nice profile and little else.

Lopez seems to have lost whatever promise she showed in "Out of Sight" or even in some of her lesser but still enjoyable films like "The Wedding Planner." The infamous diva has shown she can be quite convincing as a wide-eyed and appealing ingenue. This time, the big-hearted underdog bit doesn't work. Maybe she's too old or too overexposed. When Vartan offers her an engagement ring, it's difficult not to flash back to the Bennifer Rock.

Fonda's performance is unfailingly gallant. She's never been at her best in comedy; rather, she's most convincing as edgy, intelligent, keyed-up women, like the ones she played in "Klute" or "They Shoot Horses, Don't They." As her many off-screen passions indicate, she's always been too self-serious and committed to making a statement to loosen up for the funny stuff.

At the same time, she's always been a fearless performer. She's fearless here — mostly for just showing up in such a dispiriting enterprise and still giving it her all. There are moments when you can see Fonda rein herself in, as if in fear of blowing everyone else off the screen.

A seed is planted for a sequel featuring Fonda and Sykes. Though Sykes' sassy assistant sometimes veers uncomfortably close to the sassy servant of the '30s and '40s, they're still an appealing pair.

So a sequel might work ... as long as there's a new writer, a new director and a new supporting cast.