MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND

"You're breaking up with me!"

Matt (Wilson) had never had much luck with women and as he always ended up with ones that are slightly psycho. He thinks his luck might have changed with he meets Jenny Johnson (Thurman), a mild mannered gallery manager. Things are going great until Jenny meets Matt's work colleague Hannah (Faris) and he sees a whole new side to her. As the jealously sets in and she becomes harder and harder to be with, Matt makes the decision to end the relationship. Breaking up is always hard but Jenny is no ordinary woman, she just happens to be the superhero G-Girl.

As superhero movies continue to make a smash at the box office is was only a matter of time before we got a romantic comedy version but can the director of 'Ghostbusters' makes this film super?

Ivan Reitman used to be one of the kings of the comedy directors in 80s with hits like 'Twins', 'Stripes' and the classic 'Ghostbusters' but he hasn't really delivered in a very long time but the good news is that this sees him get back on track.

The premise for 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' is one with real comedic promise and for the most part it delivers. Imagine that you start a relationship with someone who seems great as first but as soon as you start to get to know them and spend more time with them you realise that they might not be quite as emotionally stable as you thought they were. So you decide to end it only she turns out to be a superhero and now she is really pissed. From then on she uses her superpowers to make your life a living hell, comedy gold? Yes for the most part.

The script is really fun and plays on the romantic comedy, revenge drama and most importantly comic book genres with some skill. This is a movie that succeeds in appealing to both sexes and a cross section of ages and fan types. You have the love story for the romantics out there. You have the funny best friend with the awful relationship advice providing the comedy for the male audience but key to the success is the way it plays to comic book stereotypes. The name of the hero starting with the letter, using her powers to gain revenge, a monologing super villain and that G-Girl has to keep changing her costume because it isn't indestructible like her.

The film is made even more fun by the performances of the cast. Uma Thurman really lets rip as the vengeful Jenny Johnson/G-Girl and shows a real gift for outrageous comedy. Luke Wilson plays it straight as the unsuspecting boy of a superhero, with his reactions to Jenny's strangeness and her jealously proving again that he is a gifted comedy lead actor. Anna Faris leaves her crazy 'Scary Movie' persona behind to prove that she can handle a more normal role and make a very attractive love interest. Rainn Wilson almost steals the show as Matt's best friend Vaughn. Thinking he is a ladies man and offering Matt some of the worst advice he could ever take, his one-liners are the funniest moments of the film. There is one waste however and this is the use of British comedy star Eddie Izzard as the super villain Professor Bedlam. This is the most underdeveloped character in the film and one who could have been so much more, especially with such a talented comedian playing the role.

'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' is not without its flaws, like the over the top ending that last far too long and Jenny's jealousy gets a little too much by the end but apart from that this is still an enjoyable superhero comedy. While the visual effects might not be up to the standard that fans are used to, the story and characters make up for these shortcomings, giving the film the power to succeed.

The Incredibles

Sky High

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2006