Careful What You Wish For (2015) Reviews

• A tweaked copy of 'Body Heat' made for teenagers, watch the original to see how the grown-ups do it

  jegpad2015-04-04

  If you're a boy teenager with a hard-on, go for it - enjoy the shower scene, especially. If you're a juvenile looking for mild mental stimulation with one eye on another screen, it's passable. If you're as old as I am then you'll quickly suss this is a regurgitated plot based on the classic film 'Body Heat' (1981) with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. I continued watching just to see how close to the wind they sailed. And yep, I suggest you cut your losses and immerse yourself in the original. Plus ça change ...

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• An enjoyable hour and a half if you don't take it too seriously

  bentaylor122015-04-22

  'Careful What You Wish For' was never going to be an Oscar worthy, genre defining, boundary leaping film however for what it is trying to be, which is an easy going, enjoyable and suspenseful piece of drama, it does very well. The storyline and plot my perhaps leave something to be desired but having said that this viewer was taken for the ride with all the twists and turns that were thrown at the audience. For the most part the acting was strong, especially considering the calibre of the actors and the relatively little previous work they have done in the industry. My main criticism would be that there were moments where the focus seemed to be more on moving the plot forward without first establishing the necessary character development to make us fully care what happens to the characters. Overall an enjoyable flick so long as you go into it expecting the next big thing, and don't try and analyse every detail but just sit back, relax and don't take it too seriously.

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• Boring and Unsatisfying. Could Have Been Interesting With Capable Actors

  prospectus_capricornium2015-05-10

  First, let me tell you that wishing for this movie to be good will be of no avail. There's no reason in hoping for a satisfying thriller like this one seems to claim, because doing so will only lead to a massive letdown. CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR's biggest flaw is neither its premise nor its narrative. There's a lot to negatively comment about those two areas, but they're still much more tolerable than the movie's horrible casting. None of the actors are able to serve the requirements of their roles, and while their characters hold promise of being interesting, none of the performers could actually pull them excellently, even to a tolerable level. Their dialogues and the overly familiar plot, are partly to blame, but it so difficult to jump to that part when the first thing that can be noticed is the horrible designation of the actors to roles utterly unsuited for them. There's this evil psychopath named Elliot who never really brings as much threat as he is required. Letting Isabel Lucas play a role that doesn't fit her age is perhaps the biggest mistake in the casting. Even with her capacity fully stretched, Lucas is never able to get halfway meeting all the demands of her character. Her character, Lena, is supposed to be a devious and cunning femme fatale, Isabel Lucas is plain boring. Almost the same can be said with Nick Jonas, although it's really hard to say his role's totally garbage, when almost half the time he's confused and waiting for a good line to throw. If it's any consolation, there's a lot of skin shown here, and I'm pretty sure Nick's fans as well as Isabel's will be pleased. Other than that, there's really nothing to expect. It is really difficult to follow the narrative's flow when all that worries you is whether the characters are still going to be something interesting or not. The plot isn't new either, and it still could have been interesting, if the characters are played the way they're supposed to be. These flaws accrue to an overall feeling that is neither good nor okay, much less satisfying. Albeit cliché, CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR could have been an enjoyable experience. There is so much to mine in its premise, but its terrible casting paralyzes the movie and made itself incapable of digging such potential. The result is an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction.

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• Nick Gets Naked

  3xHCCH2015-05-09

  Doug Martin is a local boy who gets attracted to Lena, the beautiful young woman who lived next door. Problem is she is married to a much older wealthy man who was shrouded in an aura of danger. Of course, his teenage hormones got the better of Doug when Lena encouraged his interest. But then, where there is an illicit affair, a violent payback will not be far behind. This story has been told many times before. An young guy is seduced by a sexy married woman. This type of film is usually told from the woman's point of view like the recent Jennifer Lopez film "The Boy Next Door", though the point of view is reversed in this one. It also brought back memories of "A Night in Heaven" and "Private Lessons" shown back in the early 1980s. IMDb lists down at least 40 films with this steamy plot, mostly trashy B-flicks. This just goes to show that films like this that deal with adolescent sexual temptation will always be there to appeal to the baser instincts of viewers. Isabel Lucas seems too young to play the femme-fatale Lena. She looks great to look at, a true seductress, that is, when she is not talking. When there are lines to deliver though, her limited acting skills show. It seems she has not really improved her craft since her similarly wooden big screen debut in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". Dermot Mulroney, an all-around good guy in most of his old films, plays against type as Lena's sinister husband. It was good to see Paul Sorvino as the local policeman. Too bad these two veteran actors were underused in their limited scenes. This film is clearly a showcase for Nick Jonas to signal his foray into more mature film roles. Director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum, herself previously associated with teen-oriented films and TV shows like "Aquamarine" and "Gossip Girl", lovingly sets up her camera to capture her star Nick Jonas in his best angles, in various stages of undress for his teenage girl fans (old enough to watch R-rated films) to ogle at. To his credit, Jonas does register well on screen and he did do passably in the acting department. Fresh from being slimed as emcee of the last Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, Nick Jonas may find it hard to escape his teen idol image at first. Mark Wahlberg has proved that that curse could be overcome. As for Jonas though, that still remains to be seen. 4/10.

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• If you're a fan of Isabel Lucas and/or Nick Jonas, you'll enjoy

  DimensionsINC2015-04-06

  After reading an interesting premise, I was disappointed when I found out that this film was going to star Nick Jonas; however after watching it in its entirety, it came clear that he was not the weak link of this film. Despite not having much acting experience, Nick doesn't do too bad, however I cannot say the same for Isabel Lucas who I felt was far too immature to play the role with credibility. 'Careful What You Wish For' is your typical thriller that sports the usual plot twists which you will probably be able to figure out before they are revealed. If you can look past concepts from other films being recycled and if you're a fan of Isabel Lucas and/or Nick Jonas, you'll enjoy this film for what it is; but if you were expecting something better, than you will be left feeling disappointed. I think that the relationship between Doug (Nick Jonas) and Lena (Isabel Lucas) is what let this film down due to Isabel's casting. I felt as though she did not look old enough to play the alluring cougar which is what made their affair less realistic. But thanks to another great score composed by John Debney, I was able to ignore this thought and stay attached to the story until the end. It may not be the most captivating thriller, but it is a film that you can enjoy on a rainy night in.

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