What To Expect When You're Expecting Review

                       I can sit here and make a cheesy joke about how not excited I was to see this film. However, I will suck it up and be the big man. I will do this by saying right off the bat that I really enjoyed What To Expect When You're Expecting. Now..don't get me wrong here-it's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination and most guys will not like this film, but deep down in the windows of my soul I could not help but admit that I was entertained.

                       The film-like many other films of the romantic comedy nature stars a group of (mostly) big name actors who get a paycheck for hamming it up. Here, though..it is actually fun to see these actors play off one another. Unlike in last year's bomb New Years Eve-we get a cast of people who actually know what they're doing when it comes to playing off one another. Here we have Chris Rock, Thomas Lennon, Rob Huebel, Dennis Quaid, Brooklyn Decker, Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick and many others. These people are experienced people when it comes to ensemble pieces, and they nail it here.

                      My favorite in the film was Matthew Morrison from TV's Glee. He plays Evan, a reality star who knocked up Jules (Diaz)-his dancing partner. As the main teacher, Will on Glee, Morrison is perfect. I was skeptical having never seen  him in anything except a small part in Dan In Real Life what he could do as one of the main actors in the film. Morrison, however proves to be very charming and witty here. As well, Ben Falcone who I have only seen in Bridesmaids as McCarthy's love interest proves to be even more likable here as Banks' husband. In fact, there was not a single character in this film I didn't like.

                        I haven't even gotten to the best part of the film yet. That is the "dudes group"- a group of unhappy dads with whom Alex (Rodrigo Santoro) is forced to meet up with. They are played by Rock, Lennon, Huebel, and Amar Talai of CBS' short running show The Ex List. This particular group of men are both funny and sweet because they love their kids but at the same time treat them like action figures. In the real world, of course this would never happen, but that's what make it so funny-the fact that this is so out there and ridiculous.

                      What To Expect When You're Expecting is based on a self help book-which is never a good sign. Also, it could have trimmed some of the fat-so to speak and kept us with the best plots rather than quickly bouncing from plot to plot. As well, the plots sometimes feel like they're trying to hard to connect. With all this being said-I enjoyed What To Expect When You're Expecting for what it is-an innocent romantic comedy whose target audience and even their boyfriends and husbands might enjoy.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic elements, and language)