Don't Judge a Movie by its Commercial

Film: Friends With Benefits
Genre: Comedy, Romantic Comedy
Director: Will Gluck
Actors: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis
My rating: 3 stars

Today at USAO I learned to look past the initial feeling that a commercial gives: not all movies are what they seem.

Last night my friends and I were determined to go to a movie, which we narrowed down to either Friends With Benefits or The Zookeeper. Despite our fears that it was going to be completely centered around sex (as some commercials indicated it to be), we decided to take our chances with Friends With Benefits.

I was delightfully surprised. Recently released in theatres, Friends With Benefits is a unique comedy about two people who decide to have sex with no emotional attachment. The film, though predictable, prides itself in differentiating itself from the classic, romantic comedy by endlessly poking fun at the cliche' and spouting off several untraditional jokes that keep the flick delightfully upbeat. This fun is somewhat dampered when heavy family drama sets into the plot line, giving the film an almost too serious tone for it's casual story line. Despite this issue, it is saved by it's incredibly loveable characters, the leads played by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis who stun the audience with their incredible chemistry and who make it impossible not to have a good time. Admittedly, Friends With Benefits is nothing we haven't seen before, but it gives off a much different vibe then the classic romantic comedy. Did it live up to the film released months ago with almost exactly the same plot line, No Strings Attached? I wouldn't say so, but it certainly is not a bad flick to see if you're bored on a Friday night.

So the lesson here is, don't judge a movie by a commercial as we almost did; it may surprise you.