My Super Ex Girlfriend

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—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Bad Mood Risin’! Here is one superhero who hates her job, resents those she saves and wishes they would stop imperiling themselves or victimizing others so she could have an evening out. Sounds reasonable. I imagine she hates any job that requires interaction of any kind. Strike that, civil interaction. Violent misunderstood miscommunication is the norm for this super girl. She is really messed up. We don’t really get why, perhaps it was a wrong turn in high school. But she is a hand full; a harder than nails, bundle of pent up frustration, hatred, boredom, loneliness, and insecurity surrounded by an overwhelming dose of bad art. (You’ll see what I mean). It’s enough to make any superhero depressed. Not the emotional angst of Batman Begins but the surface stuff you get with any normal overly morose person; minus the super powers of course. I know that if I had the super power that Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman) has, I would certainly have no more restraint than she does when I’m crossed. Unfortunately, Jenny gets crossed easily. The instigator of her ire, and clueless victim, is Luke Wilson (Matt Saunders).

I think the idea of this psychotic as a super hero is funny; so funny that when the first ads hit the t.v. screen I made a point to see this film. No doubt some of the tongue in cheek humor is at the expense of our latest spate of action hero movies. Much of the DC Comics redo deserves a little levity. There is so much material just waiting to be done on this score. But Don Payne (writer) decided crude juvenile puerile humor was more characteristic of super heros, normal men, normal women, bosses, friends, chance acquaintances. Perhaps he thinks it is funny. Speaking of humor, most of it here is pretty cheap, crude and sex based. Or did I just tell you that. You guessed it, it is profuse. I would characterize this screen play as My Super ex Girlfriend goes to see the Bad News Bears, and The Bench Warmers with the little guys from Southpark. This film is riddled with tiresome crotch shots, hits, and near misses, over used illusions and not so subtle descriptions of genitalia, breasts, and derrieres. I was wishing this great plot idea could have inspired some funny lines, rather than use worn out overly crude cliché sex jokes in a new venue.

As hard as it is to believe, Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson could not make this film do anything. Thurman had some pretty good moments of comic timing, and she is cast with a funny guy, Luke Wilson. But that important element Hollywood calls “electricity� has been flicked off in this film. Not just Luke and Uma, but the entire ensemble. No two characters have any believable attraction. Even Rainn Wilson (The Office) was given precious little good dialogue to work with.

The film opens well enough, a jewel heist, with the usual suspects. Then just as it looks as though they are going to get away with it, the sky is airbrushed and swoosh in comes G Girl. I think “G� is for Guess. Then she meets a fella, Matt Saunders. He is a guy who in his awkward way is just looking for a normal, happy relationship. He doesn’t find that with Jenny-G-girl. After a few dates and some quality time alone together Matt realizes the relationship is not working. After all, Jenny is a wingnut. And a superhero. So then with all the human wisdom he can muster he tries the direct approach to dumping his super powered basket case of a girl. Let’s just say revenge is sweet when you have no known equal on the planet!

Luke Wilson demonstrates some versatility. He simultaneously plays, Woody Allen (clever), Frank Sinatra (dry), Pee Wee Herman (clueless), and Gregory Peck (wise). Ah yes, an every man. Actually his character is pretty much just bland. His assigned dialogue reaches for all the above but doesn’t quite muster a consistent cognizance.

Matt has one redeeming quality. He likes and is good friends with a really nice girl, Hanna Lewis, played well by Anna Ferris. This shows that despite his social ineptitude he at least knows a good thing when he sees it. Hanna is a great friend to Matt. She is supportive. She doesn't seem to care that he lears at her. She must see some really good things in him. The problem for Matt is that she is engaged to a smart attractive and seemingly devoted man, Leo (played by Stelio Sevante). He turns out to be a creep. When Hanna discovers this she turns her attention to Matt. Likewise he to her. Thus begins what really seems like it is going to work out. Matt gives in to the constant barrage of abuse by Jenny (as G-Girl) and decides to cooperate with Professor Bedlam, (Eddie Izzard) who it turns out has had a crush on Jenny since High School. Everyone in this story is or gets hurt. It is a little comical when you realize that these people are all so fragile. Even the super girl. And that is what probably makes them all so dysfunctional.

The plot is predictable, so there is some comfort in that. The story has some human interest as the true lovers reveal themselves to each other to the satisfaction of all. A little excitement ensues near the end where through a poorly choreographed accident; G-Girl gets a side kick. Did I smell a sequel? But the best part is…

The end.

Continue:
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections