I teased from the moment the trailer for Second Act came out that this was really just Maid in Manhattan 2. I don’t even mean to knock Jennifer Lopez or even Vanessa Hudgens, just we’ve seen this movie a half-dozen times. What springs to mind is two movies, one is Secret of my Success and Picture Perfect. The ending of this film even followed the same exact script as Picture Perfect, speech and all.
Now that I got all my mockery out-of-the-way, I got to admit this was a pretty good light-hearted film with plenty to laugh about. I probably enjoyed it more than you did, then all the people who reviewed it online, and the professionals who got paid to see it. I probably just feel for the movie because it is based in New York and the backdrop of many scenes were places I have been myself. She went from Assistant Manager at a dollar store type business to designing products for a million dollar company with an office overlooking One World Trade Center and lower Manhattan. I was jealous, to say the least.
Ana figured out the “surprise” a few minutes into her new job and even though the movie dropped hints at it right from the very beginning, I missed it. That part of the story may disappoint several of you who think it wasn’t overly original. I think the story is a major part of the overall story as well as a reminder of the heart and soul Lopez’s character Maya is made of.
This story is virtually impossible given today’s reliance on social media for anyone’s history. Yes, people have online identities far different from their real ones, but even if a nobody aimed for a high-level position in a million dollar company, the background checks on those applicants would be thoroughly checked and double checked. Lopez doesn’t play an FBI informant with dual identities, she provides us with a comical look into the life of someone who has all the tools of the trades, but never catches the break like the fortunate ones who have nothing and always win. 7/10
Ten Stars or Less 