First Reviews of ‘Jennifer’s Body’: Can Megan Fox Act?

We already know that Megan Fox is capable of at least three things: Running and screaming, talking shit about the director that made her famous, and looking hot. But considering the girl is now embarking on a career as an actress, the question still remains: can she act? Admittedly a Michael Bay blowout isn't the best showcase of genuine acting talent, which is why her latest film, the Diablo Cody-penned teen horror send-up Jennifer's Body, is Fox's first real chance to prove that symmetry isn't the cause of her success. So last night, at the world premiere of Body in Toronto, press and industry got their first glimpse of Fox the actress. How'd she do?

/Film: “Fox seems born to deliver Cody’s clever snappy dialogue, which is more Valley Girl than Juno sarcastic, laced with pop culture references ranging from Evil Dead, to Wikipedia, to Aquamarine. Trouble comes when Fox is forced to leave her comfort zone and show some actual emotion, which thankfully only occurs in one or two scenes.”

Cinematical: “Cody’s underdeveloped writing and Kusama’s ambiguous direction are further stymied by Fox’s own inconsistencies as an actress, and her own off-camera status as an A-list fetish object. While she sufficiently did what was expected of her in the Transformers movies, she hardly exceeded expectations, and did herself no favors by condescending to the franchise that made her a household name—especially since she’s done nothing else thus far to justify the world’s interest in her.”

First Showing: “The story is actually much more about Amanda Seyfried’s character, who kicked Fox’s ass, in terms of acting at least.”

HitFix: “Trying to judge how good an actor is by the work they do in a Michael Bay film is like trying to judge the taste of food by listening to someone cook it on the radio. I think Fox reveals herself here as a fairly canny manipulator of her own image.”

Variety: “Fox sinks her teeth into the role with admirably bloodthirsty abandon, yet as ‘Jennifer’s Body’ approaches its overwrought climax, it’s hard not to think that, as a match for her talents, the Camaro may have been the superior vehicle.”

Dark Horizons: “Megan Fox is no slouch either, clearly having fun devouring this role with all the sublime relish at her disposal.”

Well whaddaya know, a mixed verdict! Cody’s script obviously won’t do for Fox what her previous script for Juno did for Ellen Page, but people didn’t hate her, and that alone is a triumph. More than anything, it seems the material doesn’t require great acting, which is probably why they cast Megan Fox. Her next project, the comic book western Jonah Hex, won’t demand too much either, so she’s safe for at least another picture. The real test comes when she’ll star as a winged freak opposite Mickey Rourke in the drama Passion Play. But even then, critics are likely to be too dumbfounded by her face to actually notice what comes out of her mouth.