Jennifer's Body

Gory rather than scary, mean-spirited rather than funny, the hip new horror comedy Jennifer's Body is a nasty piece of work. Megan Fox plays Jennifer Check, the most popular girl from high school, who, incidentally, is also a flesh-eating demon. Directed by Karyn Kusama from the screenplay by Diablo Cody, it's Cody's much anticipated follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Juno.

Jennifer torments her BFF (best friend forever), the nerdy Needy (played by the anything but nerdy Amanda Seyfried in a pair of tortouise shell glasses). Remember that affectionate banter beteen Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby in Juno? In Jennifer's Body, these girlfriends are more like adversaries, enemies even. Worse, Jennifer kills and then eats the high school boys she lures into her lair with the promise of hot sex -- not that she puts out. She also spits out black putrefied liquid. Revolting, but not frigtening.

Oh, how Jennifer's Body made me yearn for Juno, a sweet and tender film -- not nearly as good as the hype made it out to be, but sweet. And oh, how Megan Fox, tall and curvaceous, made me long for Ellen Page, short, chubby-cheeked, and real.

As portrayed by Fox, Jennifer is a reprehensible character even before she becomes the town demon. She worsens considerbly, however, after an indie band (led by Adam Brody wearing eyeliner) sacrifices her in the woods: one dead virgin for a fast rise to fame. It's one of many preposterous moments in the script.

Seyfried is appealing as Jennifer's sidekick (she looks good in those nerdy glasses), but not enough to dampen the overall feeling of ill-will created by Cody's ugly vision of friendship, teenage sexuality, and small town America. Jennifer's Body boasts the same uber-clever dialogue as Juno, but it lacks in spirit.

Jennifer's Body

Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, J. K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Produced by: Diablo Cody, Mason Novick, Jason Reitman
Running Time: 1 hr. 42 min.
Release Date: September 18th, 2009
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use.
Distributors: 20th Century Fox