Now, don't get me wrong. I have a soft spot for rom-coms, as I explained in my The Proposal review. There's something really gratifying about already knowing how a movie is going to end but enjoying the process anyway. That's why it takes a lot for a rom-com to make me excited; because every fucking cliche and strained plot device has been done. So either the plot needs to make me go "hey....." in surprise every once and a while, or the two leads must be hella charming. When in Rome, starring every nerd boy's (and girl's) crush, Kristen Bell, did neither of those things. 

Read the full review after the jump!

Based on the Alice Sebold novel of the same name, The Lovely Bones is the tale of 14-year-old Susie Salmon who is tragically raped and murdered by her neighbor in a suburban town in 1970s Pennsylvania. Upon her death Susie finds herself stuck in the "in-between," watching her family struggle to stay together as they try to find her killer and accept her death. The story is told from Susie's perspective as she floats back and forth between the fantastical "in-between" world and the real world while striving to make contact with the living to help them find her missing body. In doing so, Susie also observes her father's obsessive quest for vengeance and unwillingness to accept his daughter's demise.

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It's frustrating when a review spoils a movie for you. You just want to know if Generic Summer Flick 5 is going to suck ass or not, and some jerk on the internet ruins a surprise cameo or gives away the ending. That's no good, but it's even more frustrating when a trailer spoils a movie for you.

The previews for Leap Year left me with the sneaking suspicion I was seeing the whole film in a condensed 90-second form, and it's true: If you've seen the trailer, you've seen Leap Year. Granted, this isn't the worst thing in the world. Unless you're startled every morning as the sun rises again, you know not to expect surprises from most romcoms. Leap Year plays it safe, following the fail-proof romantic comedy formula (uptight girl meets carefree guy with a five o'clock shadow, and the sparks fly) and you can see the conclusion coming from a mile away, but Leap Year does some things right.

More after the jump.