Rated: PG-13
The biggest problem with What to Expect when You’re Expecting isn’t that it is a bad movie. No, the filmmakers assemble a solid and diverse group of actors and put them in the blandest situations possible, jumping between stories with the most tenuous of connections and shifting tones so that the audience doesn’t know what to expect. A melodrama at one moment, the movie becomes a romantic comedy, a heavy drama, an offbeat comedy; and in serving all those masters the flick never finds its groove. So the biggest problem with What to Expect isn’t that it is a bad movie, it’s that it is boring.
The assembled cast has some good actors, including Elizabeth Banks (Zach and Miri), Jennifer Lopez (American Idol), and Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) but they’re all reciting dialogue that’s simplistic and clichéd. Diversity, in this case, hurts the movie because they want to take on every possible aspect of parenthood and the film is scattered as a result.
An overlong sitcom, What to Expect doesn’t break new ground and only serves to try the viewer’s patience. Irredeemably dull, you’re better off reading the parenting book upon which this movie is based.
Rated: D+
Recommended If You Like:
- The Five-Year Engagement
- Think Like A Man
- Friends With Kids
