Blogamole › Jenna Elfman

By Simone Hilliard

I walked into a screening of Friends with Benefits expecting the flick to be a Never Say Never for a generation of late 20 somethings. After all, sexy boy bander turned-solo star-turned-supporting-actor Justin Timberlake was THE teen heartthrob of the late 90s, so it's only fitting, regardless of the movie's reviews, that women from 25-29 come out in droves to support our man JT.

Surprisingly, an hour into the film Justin ignited a different reaction than my usual "musicians should stay in their lane" mantra...it seems Mr. Timberlake could helm a film.

Of course the cliche subject matter helps. Who hasn't heard the woes of a newly single's 'f*** buddy' turned "I want more" buddy. But with the help of Mila Kunis, our protagonists shift through the sticky world of casual sex with ease.

The film kicks off with Justin (Dylan) and Mila (Jamie) both getting dumped by their respective exes, played by Andy Samberg and Emma Stone. Our title actors first meet when Jamie, a NY headhunter, tries to recruit Dylan, an L.A. based web designer, for the position of Art Director at GQ. A flirty evening ensues, which culminates with Dylan taking the GQ position and ensuring Jamie's bonus for the year.

Once Dylan is settled in his new New York digs, Jamie checks up on her new recruit, which furthers their repoire from professional to friendly. The dynamic duo become fast friends before one fateful evening, where they decide to test the limits of their new found friendship and experiment.

The duo's first romp is awkward.  Both actors can't seem to relax and instead give each other a how-to on their sexual needs and how to meet them. This had movie goers erupting in bouts of laughter at JT's naiveté, and Mila's sexual prowess.

Of course it's not all fun and games...

The ending is fitting of the tale. Romantic comedies rarely disappoint, but the conclusion does seem a bit drawn out. The flick could lose a good 15 minutes for tighter more concise storytelling.

However, the writing is comical and the inclusion of 21st century technology makes it seem current. For example, when Jamie and Dylan decide to begin their emotionless sexual relationship, the duo places their hands on a Bible Ipad ap, opposed to the real word.

An all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, Jenna Elfman, Bryan Greenburg, and Richard jenkins add to the film's funny moments, and I'm giving it a Tr3s rating of 3.5 stars.

Friends with Benefits hits theaters July 22.

Will you watch? Let us know in the comments, or @MTV3.

Tags Andy Samberg, Blogger: Simone Hilliard, Bryan Greenburg, Emma Stone, Friends With Benefits, Jenna Elfman, Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Never Say Never, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson