What to Expect When You're Expecting

Don't expect What to Expect to resemble the pregnancy book that inspired it. Though it dispenses little bits of information that could be useful, health advice isn't really the point here. And don't expect it to be surprising or refreshing, either, or to have an original point of view. It trots out tired old tropes: The women are "pressuring" the men to start a family; the men are resisting and need coaxing (and bribing). Moms are extra-careful when they have the babies; dads will let them ramble through war zones, practically, without regard for their safety. There's an emphasis on how women feel whole after having children (as if they weren't before). And though the discomforts women experience during pregnancy are played for laughs, we've heard bladder control jokes dozens of times.

Still, What to Expect is funny in an breezy, uncomplicated way, and it owes a big thanks to its talented ensemble for that, from Banks' hilarious turn as an earnest mom-to-be (who transforms throughout the movie) with an unspoken rivalry with her too-gorgeous mother-in-law (Brooklyn Decker) to Chris Rock's supporting role as the truth-spouting leader of a daddy wolf pack. J. Lo is charming, even if her role is superficially sketched out. And though their storyline seems tacked on to appeal to younger viewers, Crawford and Kendrick are adorable. Ultimately, watching this movie is no labor, and for some viewers (those with young kids at home, perhaps, who just need to get some alone time watching an effortless film?), that may be enough.