The Back-up Plan

The Back-up Plan follows pet-store owner Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) as she decides to have a baby via artificial insemination, with problems ensuing as she meets the man of her dreams (Alex O’Loughlin’s Stan) on her way out of the fertility clinic. It’s clear right from the get-go that director Alan Poul and screenwriter Kate Angelo aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel here, as the movie initially comes off as an almost prototypical example of a modern romantic comedy – with the less-than-innovative atmosphere cemented by the proliferation of wisecracking characters and the protagonists’ initial encounter (which essentially defines the term “meet-cute”). It’s worth noting, however, that The Back-up Plan does feature a surprisingly unpredictable midsection, as Zoe and Stan, having chosen to embrace their complicated situation, attempt to prepare for the baby’s arrival and essentially start their life together. The domestic-drama atmosphere keeps things interesting for a little while, although there inevitably reaches a point at which stagnancy sets in – with Angelo’s efforts at compensating for the stale vibe resulting in a number of thoroughly questionable stand-alone sequences (including an absolutely unwatchable stretch set at a friend’s home birth). By the time the frenetic, race-to-a-loved-one finale rolls around, The Back-up Plan has worn out its welcome to such a decisive degree that even romcom aficionados will be left disappointed.

** out of ****