Disclaimer:  The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent those of allgames.com.

Introduction to Second Act Movie Review by Ms. H

Did you know that at one time Jennifer Lopez had a number one album (J.Lo) and movie (The Wedding Planner) during the the same week -- back in 2001?  I think she was at the height of her career during that period. The good news is Jennifer Lopez shows no signs of slowing down. Her latest movie is called Second Act which can be described as a comedy drama, leaning more on the comedy genre.  Should you drop everything and rush out to see Second Act? Check out my movie review to find out.

Pros of Second Act Movie

Adequate Movie Length:  The movie, Second Act  is not that long, lasting only 1 hour, 45 minutes. If you decide to see it, you will not have to allot a lot of time out of your day to do so.  With some movies lasting more than 2 hours or more, a film that lasts a reasonable length of time is a welcome change.

Relatable Storyline: I think many people can relate to the plot of the movie which is Jennifer Lopez’s character's quest to get a better job or career -- minus the deceit. This is the essence of the storyline of Second Act.

Fashion: I give the wardrobe staff passing marks for choosing Jennifer Lopez’s outfits for this movie. They also selected the perfect outfit for her demo/promotional poster as well.

Second Act

Cons of Second Act Movie

Coinciding Plots: I label this section “Coinciding Plots" because in addition to getting a better job under false pretenses including using a fake resume, etc., there is another plot dealing with a daughter that Jennifer Lopez’s character gave up for adoption that manifests itself in the movie.

Low Laugh Factor:  Unfortunately, Second Act is not one of those laugh out loud type movies.  You will see her slip and fall and trading slaps with one of her costars, which were more slapstick humor and were not really funny to me.  Additionally, actress Leah Remiini is the comedy relief for the movie -- but she was not that funny.

Slow-Motion Action: Of the many camera tricks done for movies, one of the least favorite for me is the slow motion action.  Even though eliminating this action would not have improved the movie much -- in my opinion, it is annoying to see this camera trick done.

Poor Acting Skills of  Vanessa Hudgens:  Vanessa Hudgens who played Jennifer Lopez’s character's estranged adopted daughter, needed more acting lessons.  During supposedly sad parts of the movie, she continued to have a bright smile on her face as if everything was fine. I think she needs to learn to adapt her facial expressions for the specific scene she’s appearing in.

Cliche-heavy movie script:  I think the complete movie was a cliche starting from the plots to lots of the dialogue in the movie. In other words, there was nothing new to be seen in the movie. For example --  It is expected that Jennifer Lopez’s character would present herself falsely to get a job; that she would eventually come clean with it, and that she would leave the company due to her previous false pretenses.

Lack of suspense:  A little suspense was attempted to be added when the head of the company who adopted Jennifer Lopez’s daughter admitted he knew who she was all along -- even though he believed her false resume at first.  This revelation aimed to be suspenseful -- but was not.

Poor Ending: Spoiler Alert: At the end, the movie took a turn and changed focus to her adopted daughter instead of Jennifer Lopez.  You have to “assume” that Jennifer Lopez’s character went back to her old or similar job. Spoiler alert:  The movie ends with her daughter completing college, returning home to meet her mother on a jogging path, and the question is asked “What now?” Then they jog off together with Jennifer Lopez saying another cliche about everyday everyone has second chances. This is a good message, but is pure logic. It think the audience could have been spared these scenes if the movie had ended earlier.Second Act

Assessment of Second Act Movie

I was not surprised regarding the caliber of movie Second Act was  after I saw the move trailer.  I knew it would be your typical television type sitcom that was playing on the big screen, probably because it was starring Jennifer Lopez.  To make this movie more enjoyable to watch, my recommendations are to have the movie storyline focused on either Jennifer Lopez’s character getting a job or having an adopted daughter (not both), add more funny lines, eliminate the slapstick and end the movie with Jennifer Lopez career in the spotlight. Probably show her making a decision to go to college or use some other means or training to get a better career legitimately.

To answer the question posed above -- I don’t think you should rush out to see Second Act.  This movie will be available to watch later on DVD or via some of the streaming services. 

Rating of Second Act

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars, with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Second Act 1 ½ stars.