'Friends with Benefits' Best of R-Rated Casual Sex Trilogy by Default?

Friends with Benefits review scores were split down the middle, before rising to 71 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet whether it winds up fresh or not the general consensus seems to be that Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis are better than the movie, since it succumbs to the romantic comedy cliches it mocks. But it still might give this film an edge over the other two "friends with benefits" films that have come out in the last year.

The movie caps a trilogy of comedies in which a highly attractive pair has R-rated casual sex, yet start falling for each other anyway. Love and Other Drugs kicked off the formula with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, while No Strings Attached had Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher settle into the role.

Friends with Benefits is more often compared to No Strings Attached in reviews, since they are both lighter than Love and Other Drugs- and both have stars from Black Swan. Yet all three films have been found to be lacking by at least half of the critics, despite the best efforts of their lead "casual" pairs.

Drugs and Benefits seem to be the most ambitious of the group, as Gyllenhaal and Hathaway made headlines for their extensive nudity, while Timberlake and Kunis are carrying their first movie after supporting roles in Oscar contenders last fall. In addition, Drugs also tried to be dramatic by taking on disease, the health care industry and the birth of Viagra, while Benefits attempts to spoof and tear apart the romantic comedy formula- though critics suggest it is just as formulaic by the end.

Perhaps this last casual sex film has an extra edge due to the lead couple. Gyllenhaal and Hathaway got Golden Globe nominations, but Hathaway was the real draw. Portman and Kutcher looked particularly mismatched in the midst of Portman's Black Swan Oscar campaign. Yet Timberlake and Kunis are each rising up the movie A-list at the same time, after their supporting roles in Oscar contenders last fall.

Even Rotten Tomatoes cites that their chemistry "is almost enough to carry the movie by itself" in its consensus. However, while their box office appeal is just launching, it may not be enough against blockbusters like Harry Potter and Captain America this particular weekend. And since their movie bares such a resemblance to two other movies that didn't take off, it could well be guilty by association- especially since critics are particularly disappointed by how it follows formula after all.

Having better reviews and a better couple than the last two movies of its kind could be a small benefit to Friends with Benefits in the end. In fact, since it actively tries to be more different than its two predecessors and fails anyway, it may be the biggest missed opportunity of the trilogy- even if it has more to offer beforehand.

Sources

Rotten Tomatoes- "Friends with Benefits"