Second Act is being billed as “Jennifer Lopez’s return to romcoms.” This label is false — while JLo is paired with notable hunk Milo Ventimiglia, their romance is already established when the film begins and any tension between them is relegated to a minor subplot. There really isn’t anything romantic about this movie.
Instead, Second Act finds Jennifer Lopez playing Maya, an employee at a big-box retailer who is hoping to get a promotion based on the incredible innovations she’s made to her store, where she’s been a dedicated worker for 15 years. But she’s passed over based on her perceived lack of education — she only had a GED. Feeling defeated, her friends put together a fake social media profile and exaggerated resume for her, even forwarding her new credentials to high-profile companies with job openings. And, suddenly, Maya is offered a consultancy position at a cosmetics company, where she’ll lead a team of corporate misfits in developing an organic skin cream. Hijinks ensue, lessons are learned, etc., etc.
But there is no romance! Yet the false advertising, weirdly enough, makes sense. I have vivid memories of the early 2000s, when Jennifer Lopez was briefly the Queen of Romantic Comedies. I remember watching The Wedding Planner countless times with my mom and aunt; I also remember (far less fondly) Maid in Manhattan and Shall We Dance, to name a few. Those films were very much of the time: pop-culture products that were perfectly paired with Lopez’s hit music, and the many other rom-coms that dominated the box office charts (ah, the good ‘ol days…). And Second Act feels like their long-lost sibling: a good, old-fashioned, play-it-safe comedy that gives you exactly what you paid for, while cashing in big-time on Jennifer Lopez’s star power.
And what star power she has. If anything, Second Act is a helpful reminder that Jennifer Lopez is an excellent movie star who has never given a bad performance (including, hot take, in Gigli). She may not be able to disappear into her parts all that well, but she has charisma, comedic timing, and a likability that makes her easy to root for. It’s, put simply, a movie star performance. Lopez knows that the audience is here for escapism, and commits to showing them a good time, whether it be by telling jokes, selling an emotional beat, or, in one scene, showing off her impressive dance moves.
The film’s script, largely, commits to the same thing. I could waste words talking about how, yes, the film relies on cliches and avoids bold, creative risks. But — is it really trying to do any different? No one here thinks they’re breaking new ground from a storytelling standpoint so, judging them based solely on what they set out to do, the writers do a commendable job. The jokes are good for a solid chuckle, while the plot is zippy and compelling.
It is worth noting, however, that things get weird in Second Act. I’m not quite sure what the writers were going for with some of the later developments in the story, but the film takes a truly bizarre turn that somehow makes the film’s admittedly unbelievable premise both more realistic and even wilder.
Kudos to the marketing team for not giving away this element of the story but, to say the least, it helps make the film feel different from your average studio comedy. Again, this is not exactly elegant drama, and much of the emotion feels pretty standard-issue. But it’s surprisingly humane and empathetic, matching the film’s overwhelming positivity. And, as the pieces start to come together and you realize what direction the film is heading in, it’s hard not to gasp and bask in the film’s sheer craziness.
Truthfully, you already know whether or not you have the capacity to enjoy Second Act. Personally, I was very excited to check it out: my current passion for film and interest in Oscar fare was born from my childhood memories of watching films like this one with my family. For me, this was a welcome throwback. While nowhere near as good as some of its peers from 2018, it does its job nicely. Jennifer Lopez makes sure that audiences get their money’s worth. So see it, or don’t, but just let the people who want to see it have their fun!
