The release of "One for the Money" on a weekend when the Liam Neeson film "The Grey" is expected to clean up may tempt some rom-com fans.
Kathryn Heigl's starring vehicle isn't getting a lot of love from critics, some of which are only seeing it for the first time the day of its release.
Major dailies and entertainment magazines were not provided with a screener for review purposes. Film critics are prone to say that more often than not, it is an indication that the distributor doesn't expect it to be well received.
The Daily Beast's review noted that point: "...the new Katherine Heigl crime caper that’s so lousy the studio wouldn’t screen it early for critics."
Relying on interest in the star of the film to draw early ticket buyers then hoping for great word of mouth feedback and a decent showing on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, is how studios deal with a less than great product.
With The Grey starring Liam Neelson and the Sam Worthington vehicle Man on a Ledge offering more typical January movie content, it makes the decision to release "One for the Money" more of a hope of a good counter-programming maneuver. Read a Huliq News capsule review of the weekend's offerings, here.
From those that got a look at the film, it didn't move the meter so to speak.
The Hollywood Reporter: "One for the Money mostly resembles a failed television pilot, a feeling which is only reinforced by its late-January release and failure to be screened for critics. Heigl tries hard throughout. But she’s undone by the schizophrenic nature of the material, which unsuccessfully wavers from comedy to thriller without scoring on either front."
The Toronto Star gave it one star: "One for the Money, is a rom-com fizzle and Razzies 2012 candidate that immediately kills any franchise prospects based on author Janet Evanovich’s sexy bounty hunter character, Stephanie Plum." Kathryn Heigl comes in for some harsh criticism. "...Katherine Heigl, who keeps going from one dodgy enterprise to another."
Some of the reasons for blaming Heigl for the final product are because it is her project. She bought the rights to the Stephanie Plum series and took three years to get the film in theaters.
Her role as producer gave her the final word on the elements of the film and she told media that she enjoyed the feeling of being her own boss after years in the business as someone hoping to be hired to fill an actor's role.
The Los Angeles Times reported that expectations for the film are not high as far as it box office receipts are concerned. One for the Money is not projected to reach or top the $10 million mark.
While Heigl became a reasonably good ticket draw in her romantic comedies in the past when paired with the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Josh Duhamel, One for the Money doesn't seem to push along her box office clout.
Image: Wikimedia Commons/Andreas Praefcke
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