REVIEW | What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

Elizabeth Banks and Brooklyn Decker

What to Expect When You're Expecting feels like a brief overview of various birth methods and pregnancy tales (because it's based on some pregnancy book) that culminates, of course, to seeing the babies in their arms.

J.Lo is the only one without the prosthetic preggy belly.

In the first place, I don't know why they needed to make a film out of this stuff; which feels nothing but a very light, cliched summary of what to expect when you're expecting, only it's pretty, colorful and, uhm, cinematic. We see beautiful women, Hollywood female A-listers and popular faces (Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kenrick, etc) walking around with bulging bellies and/or watching them in their own little dramas and little joys of being expectant mothers. To give us a break from too much estrogen on the screen, they incorporated a Daddy Club, led by Chris Rock, that support the idea of the joys of parenting.

The Dude Club. Ok.

The visuals are pleasing (J.Lo's apartment is gorgeous!), the locations nice, the characters have their own distinct characteristics (yet all the leading men dress the same). Yes, you will feel a light tug at the heart when the women finally give birth, but this is the sort of screenplay that can be relegated as an episode of some TV series, not really suited for a full-length motion picture.

Cameron Diaz and the husband.

Heartthrob Anna Kendrick and the Gossip Girl guy.

If you are looking for real birthing stories, then just immerse yourself in the TV reality series Birth Stories-- it's complete with medical images (not cool for the queasy), following the real-life experiences of real pregnant women in various social and economic statuses, from different cultures and religion, and then the reward? The video capturing the real joy of real moms after their very graphic birthing. Yup, hardcore birthing stories that would put tears in your eyes.

If you're only looking for a light comedy on pregnancy and parenting, What to Expect When You're Expecting, directed by Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee) still falls short on entertainment value. It is well-acted, visually pretty, but shallow, and empty...like the actresses' prosthetic bellies.

1.5 out of 5 stars

In Philippine theaters on May 16, 2012