And They Come In Twos

Rating: 6/10 (27 August 2011)

Ever noticed how the box office always seems to release films in two? Confusing cinema goers making them rack their brains trying to decide on a film!
Here are a few examples to prove my point:

Killers vs. Knight & Day (2010)

Dante's Peak vs. Volcano (1997)

The Prestige vs. the Illusionist (2006)

A Bugs Life vs. Antz (1998)

Deep Impact vs. Armageddon (1998)

Coincidence? I think not! But from looking at those titles, there's always one that's better quality than the other. And if you're trying to decide which one is worth your time. Let me help you make that decision.
Both 'No Strings Attached' & 'Friends With Benefits' are typical and predictable, definitely something for the ladies. Both portray a modern female character who are empowering and career focused & don't want a serious relationship. But we can all guess what happens at the end, women hormones and emotions take over.
But if we're going to compare the pair, 'No Strings attached' takes the cake hands down. The film's script takes on a much wittier approach and gave me a few chuckles and giggles. At the same time there were scenes that got me a little choked up. It was a good mix of comedy and romance like the genre suggests.
Not to mention Kutcher and Portman who were portraying these typical characters, seem to have more chemistry and didn't make my skin crawl. Even the older wiser character in both films, played by Kline (Adam's Father) had more of a distinct characteristic and was flawed and funny as oppose to the 'Friends with Benefits' counterpart played by Clarkson (Jamie's mother) who's character failed to even resonate in my memory.
'Friends with Benefits' is a Justin Timberlake fans only film. Mila and Justin made a good effort, but if you're looking for a film with a typical plot that would make you laugh and cry. You'd be better off checking out Reitman's 'No Strings Attached' attempt.
Even though the 'No Strings attached' tag line appears to be directly ripping off 'Friends with Benefits'. How I see it is, if you're going to do something that's been overdone and clichéd. Then do it well. And 'No Strings Attached' did just that