Careful What You Wish For (2016)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

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.

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.

This is a typical movie with a typical plot line that won't surprise you. It's a sad day when a singer tries to become an actor because they rarely get it right. It's a good thing Dermot Mulroney doesn't appear much or Nick Jonas wouldn't stand a chance against him. Also, did Dermot have to downplay his acting skills just to accommodate Nick? Nick Jonas seems like he's expecting a fan girl to jump out at any moment right through this movie. Malnourished but beautiful Isabel Lucas's acting is just about as dull as her expressions. Looking like she's on the runway instead of on a set. This is why I'm not a fan of starring models. The other actors and actresses were also bland and un-impressionable. And the ending? Is as predictable as the sun coming up the next morning. The only thing that sets this movie apart from all the others of it's kind is, you guessed it! A Jonas brother.

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.