The Perfect Match 2016 * * Stars

Director: Billie Woodruff
Year: 2016
Rated R
Rating: * * Stars
Cast: Terrence J, Cassie Ventura, Donald Faison

Terrence J is the best reason to see this otherwise, clunky romantic comedy whose title doesn't justify a means to an end. The Perfect Match (my latest review) has him playing Charlie. Charlie is an agent, a freelance photog, and a guy who is not into relationships. When it comes to sex, he eventually loses interest in every female he hooks up with. After Charles meets Eva (played by Cassie Ventura), things change. He starts to have genuine feelings for her (because the film's plot mechanics require us to believe so). She might be using him for a little ohh la la or she might be engaged to another man. Either way you look at it, the womanizer gets the tables turned on him, the player gets played. The Perfect Match huh. The "perfect" foil sounds more like it.

Anyway, despite its lush LA setting and flamboyant soundtrack comprised of unknown, R&B singles, "Match" is all too familiar and virtually emotion-free. Like I said earlier, Terrence J is the only good thing going for it. He's got the looks, he's got the voice, and in my opinion, has the makings of a budding movie star. With almost no formal acting training (he started out as a radio DJ and I remember seeing him on Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami), I feel he could successfully headline his own flick. The Perfect Match sadly, is not the platform to do that.

This is 1992's Boomerang without a decent script. This is Think Like A Man without any interesting characters. This is a so-called romcom without any real, suggestive humor. There are some bad, out of place cameos (Robin Givens, French Montana, Brandy Norwood), some bad, out of place supporting performances (J. Lo's 28 year-old boyfriend playing a rapper agent who rides around on a hoverboard, really?), troupers that drink enough alcohol to promote either liver disease or cirrhosis (remember the dudes in About Last Night?), and the actual director (Billie Woodruff) using his own name as the heading of the film's fictional, fertility clinic (huh?). In terms of its cinematic look, well The Perfect Match is slick, upper classified, and untarnished. You could literally eat off the screen it's on but that doesn't make the proceedings any more effective.

All in all, it's obvious that "Match" was marketed weakly as it currently plays on under 1000 screens with practically no showings for critics. You can tell why. It's pretty but pretty disposable. Bottom line: There's another movie out there with the words "The" and "Perfect" attached to it. I suggest you see that one instead. Rating: 2 stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson