Going into this movie, I didn't have a lot of expectations. It was one of those movies that came out in the fall and then the studio dumped between Christmas and New Year's. I always look for these types of movies, the ones the studios dump, because there's gotta be something to them. At least I thought so. The movie that began this template was "Jeepers Creepers".
The movie came out eight years ago. I still have fond memories of watching that movie by the glow of my Christmas tree by myself past midnight in my living room. The movie scared the shit out of me. Granted, back then, I didn't have as much experience with horror movies as I do now. I've since become desensitized by them, but there are movies that still will scare me if done well enough.
So, here comes "Jennifer's Body". Everyone probably already knows who is in it and what the basic plot is, but just in case it stars Megan Fox as a girl who becomes possessed by a demon. That's pretty much all you need to know. The movie does not strain for any more depth than that. Amanda Seyfried plays her "BFF" (gag) Needy. (Her name is actually Anita, but Needy sounds funnier and more clever.)
Something to take into consideration is the fact that this movie is written by Diablo Cody. Her only other credits at this point are "The United States of Tara" and the Academy Award winning "Juno". I haven't watched "The United States of Tara", but I haven't heard that much good about it aside from Toni Collette. However, I have seen "Juno".
"Juno" was a success because while Juno and all her friends had this cutesy, I'm smarter than you dialogue, the parents and adults all spoke normally. None of them seemed to be straining to be smarter than the other. They were just regular people. "Jennifer's Body" is the complete opposite of this.
As a matter of fact, I don't really know of any of the adults in the movie at all. There is no juxtaposition of dialogue. Just Megan Fox looking hot and eating guys. Something to realize though is that Megan Fox actually has the chops to act. Because two of her other movies (the "Transformers" movies) were directed by Michael Bay and Michael Bay is basically a six year old in a fifty year old's body, she was never given an opportunity to do anything in those two movies aside from look scared, hot and run in tight clothes.
The movie itself doesn't know what it wants to be. I think Diablo Cody wanted to do a horror movie, but didn't really understand the conventions of them. Or did too well. I'm not sure. I'll probably have to watch it again to form a better opinion on it. The movie is poorly edited and directed. While this could have been seen as the ultimate girl power movie because of Karyn Kusama behind the camera with a Diablo Cody script, it acts as nothing more than a male fantasy put on screen.
I could just see some guy say, "You know, if I were to be torn apart by some girl-turned-monster, I'd want it to be Megan Fox seven days a week and twice on Sundays."
The problem with the movie is it's not as funny as it wants to be and it's not as scary as it should be. I know in the end that horror comedies are hard to pull off, but then again, it doesn't seem like anyone tried for anything. I doubt that the movie would have been made without Megan Fox in the lead role.
Now, I am trying my best to have faith in Diablo Cody. I really, truly am. I would hope that someone with a rags to riches story like hers would be able to pull off something other than "Juno". Our society these days frequently makes people celebrities before they know what to do with the fame (also see J.J. Abrams). I'm hoping that Ms. Cody falls out of the cutesy dialogue and makes something substantial again. According to one of the special features on the Blu-Ray, she explains that she didn't make the dialogue the way she did on purpose. I think that's a lie. Many writers can realize when their dialogue is taking away from the story. And in her case, especially in "Jennifer's Body", it most certainly is.
For now though, I will just continue to think of how if the amount of effort that was put into the Megan Fox/Amanda Seyfried make out scene was put into the rest of the movie that the movie would have been infinitely better.
A kinda scary side note: For someone that doesn't like Diablo Cody too much, I own both of the movies she has written on Blu-Ray. And they're both in the J's, right on either side of "JFK". Now that's scary.
