IGN.com|AskMen.com|Rotten Tomatoes|GameSpy|FilePlanet|TeamXbox|CheatsCodesGuides|GameStats|Direct2Drive

RottenTomatoes.com

Register | Log In | What is RT?
It's our 10th birthday, so you get presents!
Home Movies DVD Celebrities News Critics Trailers & Pictures The Vine Forums
Box Office | Best Of | Certified Fresh | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
 
MOVIES / ON DVD / MONSTER-IN-LAW
Monster-in-Law

Rate This Movie

Write a Review
See Pictures
Share This Movie
Add to List
Buy Poster

Bookmark and Share

Monster-in-Law (2005)

16%
25%
40%
N/A
N/A
N/A
16 %
Reviews Counted: 161 Fresh: 26  Rotten:135 Average Rating: 4.2/10
 
Consensus: While Jane Fonda steals the movie in her return to the screen, a tired script and flimsy performances make this borderline comedy fall flat.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Synopsis: Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) is looking for a nice guy who will appreciate her, as well as her myriad of interests and jobs. From walking dogs to painting to designing clothes to answering phones at a doctor's office, Charlie does it all. Keith (Michael Vartan) seems to fit the bill as a perfect... Charlie (Jennifer Lopez) is looking for a nice guy who will appreciate her, as well as her myriad of interests and jobs. From walking dogs to painting to designing clothes to answering phones at a doctor's office, Charlie does it all. Keith (Michael Vartan) seems to fit the bill as a perfect match for her: he's charming, handsome, a successful doctor, and he is completely smitten with her. And now, he has proposed and wants to marry her. There's just one problem: his mother, Viola (Jane Fonda), is a nightmare. A legendary television journalist who has an on-air breakdown after being replaced by a much younger woman, Viola virtually lives for Keith, especially now that her career is apparently over. She doesn't think Charlie is good enough for her son, and she plans to do everything she can to break them up. Enlisting the help of her assistant, brutally honest Ruby (Wanda Sykes), Viola plots ways to drive Charlie crazy--and get her away from her son. She feigns illness, belittles her future daughter-in-law's jobs, and invites her son's old flame to visit at inopportune moments, among other things. But Viola underestimates Charlie, who isn't about to give up a happy future with Keith without a fight. Directed by Richard Luketic (LEGALLY BLONDE, WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON!), MONSTER-IN-LAW marks Fonda's return to the big screen following a 14-year absence. Elaine Stritch appears as Viola's own former monster-in-law. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan, Wanda Sykes, Adam Scott

Director: Robert Luketic
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese, Anya Kochoff
Producer: Paula Weinstein, J.C. Spink, Chris Bender
Composer: David Newman

DVD Info

Release:

Jun 5, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Widescreen 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Surround 5.1 - English

Reviews

 
T-Meter Critics
 
 
Top Critics
 
 
RT Community
 
 
My Critics
 
 
My Friends
 
 
DVD
 
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
2/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/07/05
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
Ratings Image
3/5

It’s finally happened. Jennifer Lopez has finally made a film that doesn’t make you want to chew off your own arm inside of about 20 minutes.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/14/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
3/5

While there are moments of hilarious nastiness, the film continually opts to play it safe.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/13/05
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
4/5

Fiendishly good fun.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/10/05
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
2/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
11/01/07
David Ansen
Newsweek
Ratings Image
1/4

For a revenge comedy to work, the villain should be so despicable that you relish those moments when the victim turns the tables and gets even. This flick is misleading because the title character is not really mean, but rather a sympathetic figure.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/20/07
Kam Williams
Princeton Town Topics
Ratings Image
N/A

In the American tradition of diva moms from hell.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/11/07
Prairie Miller
Long Island Press
Ratings Image
N/A

In this casting match-up, Lopez is totally outclassed.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/01/07
Shirley Sealy
Film Journal International
Ratings Image
1/4

For such a rich premise, Kochoff produced a fairly lackluster script.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/02/06
Mary Lasse
Christianity Today
Ratings Image
2/5

full review in Greek

Full Review | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
3/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
C

It’s nice to see Jane Fonda back on screen. One just wishes it were in a better picture.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/07/05
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
09/26/05
Onion AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
1/5

You’ve got the makings of one royally uninspired comedy and utterly generic Hollywood mess.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/29/05
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
1/5

Graças a este filme, descobri um fato fascinante: um garçom sempre terá impulsos incontroláveis de servir as pessoas, mesmo quando for apenas um convidado em uma festa.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/12/05
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
07/29/05
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
See More Topics...

Related Forums

Darko, Donnie
MONSTER-IN-LAW is sub-par Fonda, ok J-Lo or just an avg. cable-ready chickflick-SLAP!
by: Darko, Donnie 4/7/06


Can you say DESPERATE!
by: MillyaBella 6/19/05


J.SLUT Snubbed Selena Tribute!
by: MillyaBella 6/19/05


Why don't you people talk about the movie...
by: Starrone 5/30/05


Theaters BOYCOTTING Hanoi Jane's film!!!
by: jsoftcheck 5/26/05
all

Pictures

See More Movie Pictures
Play All

Trailers & Clips

  • >
    Monster-In-Law Trailer
1 of 1
See More Movie Trailers and Clips
all

News

Box Office Guru Preview: "28 Weeks Later" and "Georgia Rule" To Battle For #2 Spot
posted by Gitesh Pandya May 10, 2007
In what must be a first at the box office, an aerobics queen takes on killer zombies in a vicious battle for the silver...


Box Office Guru Preview: Keaton and Kids Hope to Score Touchdown
posted by Gitesh Pandya February 01, 2007
As the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts get ready to rumble at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Hollywood goes into...


Box Office Preview: X-Men 3 Ready to Rock Memorial Day Weekend
posted by Gitesh Pandya May 25, 2006
Wolverine, Professor X, and the rest of their soul patrol will launch a full-scale attack on the North American box...


Box Office Preview: Will People Show Up for "Da Vinci Code"?
posted by Gitesh Pandya May 18, 2006
Will North American moviegoers pay heed this weekend to negative reviews coming out of Cannes? That is the question on...

Around the Network

• Monster-in-Law at Rotten Tomatoes
• Monster-in-Law at IGN
• Monster-in-Law at AskMen
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | ModCenter | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2008, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.