Monday, February 13, 2012

From Justin 2 Kelly: All Time Most Fun Awful Movie

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So, let me just give a big thumbs down to "The Daily Beast" that picked "From Justin To Kelly" as one of the worst Valentine's Rom Coms ever.
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To which I sasy, only if by "worst" you mean fun, funny and fabulous.
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And no, they don't mean that - since the included some real stinkers like Gigle, Maid in Manhattan and Leap Year.
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Dear Daily Beast, I respectfully disagree, From Justin to Kelly is da' bomb!  It is bad in perfectly funny ways, and very good in others.
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Let's start with the good.  Kelly Clarkson can SING.  And she sings the hell out of some songs.
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And one her friends is Anika Noni Rose - later in Dreamgirls (as the not-Beonyce and not-Jennifer Hudson), and with a Tony for the Broadway show Caroline or Change, she is a real talent.  We are talking serious star power.  And to watch her Dance and Sing is a joy (PARTICULARLY when she is "dream"
 singing and dancing in a Glitter-Salsa club down a dirt back alley in Miami!).
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And, if you have the extended Director's version (and why wouldn't you?!?) you get to see THE SINGULAR MOST BLATANT rip-off of "Summer Lovin" ever.  And that includes when Glee actually sang Summer Lovin.  With (wait for it) Justin as John Travolta.  Oh wait, that is in the so-bad-it's-great category...
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Back to the good.  Well, its a reach, but this background guy is a scene stealer.  The bottle-blond, built guy, in the back ground of this shot, is all over this movie.  The choreographer, dance captain and Director of Photography obviously have quite the thing for this guy.  My guess is the 2nd Unit Director was sleeping with him.  He moves great and looks interested in the proceedings - which makes him a real stand-out amoung the cast.  It is made even more obvious how much the photogs love him, as they always have his shirt off (happily for us all,  Justin W. never has his shirt off).
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As for the bad in a good way.  Where to start....  It is a cornucopia of riches!
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The dialog seems pretty much made up as they went along.  (Although Kelly did make up the Best Line of the Year with this one...
Justin (pointing at a small window in the bathroom he is suppose to climb out of) "That?!?  My hair wouldn't even fit through that."
Kelly "I'm from Texas.  I've seen bigger."
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The bad girl (Katherine Bailess) seems to think, in every scene, "what would Rizzo do, if she really was the bitch she pretended to be?". And then overacts twice as bad.  (Minus the big redemption scene - no "that's the worst thing I could do" for you!.)
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Kelly and Justin's acting is ... well, very good for two people that won a singing contest where no acting was required.  What makes it perfect is that about 4 lines into most scenes, they realize it sucks and just play along with the gag.  And, it IS a Rom Com - so maybe we should judge their Chemistry together.
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Perfect. They play brother and sister perfectly (What?  They are suppose to be hot for each other?  Oh, that's very different...).
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Well, they aren't the first two people with zero attraction for each other stuck in a bad Rom Com musical.  See Twist of Fate, if you don't believe me.  In that one Olivia Newton John and John Travolta seem to physical repel each other (you know...like similarly changed magnets).  And they are "real" actors.
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The big fight / thunder road / redemption scene???  Jet Skis at sunset.  (sooo not kidding!)
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Anyway, it seems criminal to hate on From Justin To Kelly.  It is a big wet kiss at corporate synergy and good ideas gone wrong and I LOVE IT.
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If you and your Valentine can't bond over this movie - there is no spark left!