One for the Money

One for the Money

(Julie Anne Robinson, 2012)

Rating: 2/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

Summary: Despite good potential, sassy bailbonds comedy 'One for the Money' is no 'Midnight Run'

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'One for the Money' is a fitting title. Considering the end result, it's hard to believe anyone involved did it for any other reason.

Mercifully, it's fast-paced, glossy, even fun in parts yet it lacks any form of depth to ground its lazily drawn characters and dot-to-dot plot points.

The film sees Katherine Heigl's brassy Stephanie Plum decide to change her life after getting fired from her job selling lingerie to creeps in Newark months ago. An opportunity comes along to become a bail bonds collector, dragging in perps who skip court dates.

You'd think some training would be essential for a job like this, but Plum jumps right in and whaddaya know her first big catch is shaping up to be her ex-boyfriend (Jason O'Mara). He's a local cop who got embroiled in a murder and cliched conspiracy. It's the kind of film where everyone explains their actions under duress, but it still doesn't make much sense.

Despite the seriousness of the situations, the moronic characters in Julie Anne Robinson's hollow, laughless comedy all act like it's one big joke.

Classic 80s action comedy 'Midnight Run' had a similar plot and fleshed it out with polar opposites Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. They made their backdrop thrilling and their foreground hilarious. 'One for the Money' tries it the other way round and butchers it on both counts.

Check out the trailer for 'One for the Money' HERE at Cinemas Online.

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