Over Her Dead Body (PG-13, 2008)

Eva Longoria Parker plays Kate, a type-A bridezilla who's accidentally crushed to death by an ice sculpture on the day of her wedding to Henry (Paul Rudd), a loving veterinarian. One year after her death, Henry's sister (Lindsay Sloane) convinces him to see Ashley (Lake Bell), a part-time psychic, in order to communicate with Kate's ghost. Since Kate believes it's her ghostly mission to keep Henry away from the pretty, single medium, she reveals herself to Ashley and proceeds to sabotage their relationship. The sole voice of reason is Dan (Jason Biggs), Ashley's best friend, who warns her that any relationship involving an angry ghost is bad news. But Ashley and Kate continue to spar like vindictive high-school girls fighting over a guy.

OVER HER DEAD BODY is yet another entry in the Ghost-inspired subgenre of love stories. First-time feature director Jeff Lowell also obviously stole some of the tone of John Tucker Must Die (which he wrote) for the scenes between Ashley and Kate. The result is a lack of emotional connection with either woman. Would a ghost really spend all of her time annoying the psychic that her former fiancé is dating rather than to reach out to her loved one directly? And would a psychic who for the first time actually sees someone from the beyond act like a 16-year-old because the ghost's beloved is "cute"?

It's not that the movie is awful, it's just blah -- the kind of fluff that only very young girls would find romantic. There are occasional laughs, mostly due to Rudd's charming wit and a couple of slapstick scenes involving Biggs. The actresses are actually the weak spots, lacking the comedic chops to make their characters work. Both come off as petty and overly polished (especially in the case of Longoria Parker, who looks like she'd never appear in a film if every hair weren't perfectly in place and every form-fitting outfit sprayed on her curves). An ice-queen ghost and a shallow psychic-caterer? Neither seem to deserve the sweet vet.

Studio: New Line
Director: Jeff Lowell
Cast: Eva Longoria, Lake Bell, Paul Rudd
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release: January 31, 2008
DVD release: May 5, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sexual content and language.