J.Lo should have stopped after 'Gigli'

While I've had my fair share of boyfriends with overbearing mothers, I've never experienced anything as terrible as Viola Fields (Jane Fonda) in "Monster-In-Law." I've also been known to love a romantic comedy or two, but "In-Law" had a hard time deciding if it was a terrible comedy, an even worse romantic comedy or a horrendous porn.\nCharlotte "Charlie" Cantilini (Jennifer Lopez) plays a temp living in California who meets the wealthy man of her dreams, Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan), while on the beach. The relationship between J.Lo and J.Fo is doomed from the beginning because Vartan is an only child and the only family J.Fo has. Beyond that, J.Fo's character is already damaged goods since getting cast aside from her job as talk-show host. From the first meeting of the two women, J.Fo begins plotting ways to rid her family of J.Lo. \nTrying to plan the wedding, poisoning J.Lo with nuts that she is allergic to, faking a panic attack and fulfilling every horrible mother-in-law stereotype, J.Fo gives it her all in trying to destroy J.Lo. But J.Lo doesn't falter, she just fights back. \nOne of the only things that saves the terrible plotline is J.Fo's witty assistant Ruby (Wanda Sykes). How Sykes got moved from Comedy Central to the ranks of J.Lo's company is beyond me. But J.Lo should be thanking Sykes for her one-liners and comic appeal that keep the movie somewhat afloat. Sykes is the voice of comedic reason among the barely laughable chaos. \nThough the battle between J.Lo and J.Fo seems predictable, one \ncomponent that isn't is the physical fighting between the two women. Some of the best scenes in the movie come when J.Lo gets her face shoved into a cake or slapped by J.Fo. Nice to see Fonda's workout video's paid off somewhere down the line. \nMost scenes throughout the movie are cohesive, except for a few. There are random scenes filled with sexual innuendo that are completely out of place and random. J.Lo is in the bathtub in one scene talking to Vartan where the conversation leads to J.Lo telling him she misses him, especially when she is naked and wet. For a minute, I thought J.Lo had given up acting career and pursued a job at a 1-900 phone sex hotline. \nFonda's comeback is bad, but worse is Lopez's worn-out role as the struggling woman in the big city who finds a rich guy to take care of her ("Maid in Manhattan"). This movie isn't worth $2, let alone the $8 you'll pay at the theater. My advice: wait a year until its on TBS or USA and save your money -- you don't need another mother-in-law like this.