Monster-in-law (2005)

Some films probably seem high-concept in the planning stages, but in truth would be better off never having been made.  This, unfortunately, is one of them.  While I know that it is giving away my age (which I'm told ladies never do - ha!), let me admit that I was at school with Jane Fonda and I had a definite interest in seeing her return to the screen after so many years.  Big mistake on her part; perhaps she just should have waited for a better script.  Here she plays a high-powered television executive who has been given the boot for a younger model and she looks forward to finally spending some time with her son.  The son, however (an insipid Michael Vartan) has fallen for the somewhat dubious charms of Jennifer Lopez and purposes -- to Mummy's horror.  So Fonda does all that she can to break them up, just falling short of poisoning her prospective daughter-in-law (she conveniently has food allergies).  It's not that Fonda is bad so much as the fact that she is unable to overcome such an unsympathetic role, expecially since J-Lo is playing all gooey sweet. Moreover there is virtually no chemistry between the two lovers.  Frankly, it's an embarrassment all round, with only Fonda's black sidekick coming across as a likeable and recognizable human being.