Jennifer Lopez puts on the charm in Second Act

By Ryan Grow | January 25, 2019

Jennifer Lopez is as charming as ever in her new comedy Second Act, now playing in theaters.

Value Shop assistant manager Maya Vargas (Jennifer Lopez) wants only one thing for her 43rd birthday — a promotion. While her résumé may not scream upper management, her track record certainly does. Vargas is an innovator who listens to her customers and delivers results. When she loses the job to a college-educated candidate, Maya sets out to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts — and it’s never too late for a second act.

Lopez hasn’t really been on the big screen since 2015, not that she needs a new movie; her being a global superstar is more than business enough. Lopez definitely knows her brand and Second Act is a perfect fit for it. The film plays to all her strengths, not just an actress, but as the ageless, insanely beautiful megastar who still maintains relatability.

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In Second Act, Maya believes she has a real shot at becoming the branch manager at the store she has worked at or over 25 years, but when she gets passed over in favor of the guy with the big degree, her best friend’s (Leah Remini) son glamorizes her resume, which lands her as an executive at a beauty company run by Anderson Clarke (Treat Williams) and co-captained by his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), who becomes her enemy instantly from the moment they meet.

Will Maya learn to trust her gut, get over her commitment issues, and discover that her self-worth is valued more than what is on a piece of paper is the main point of the film. The whole thing is sort of like a fairytale, from Milo Ventimiglia’s dreamy boyfriend to the predictable plot twist you can guess almost immediately that takes place midway through the film.

Its so much fun to watch Lopez and the supporting cast, including her real-life best friend Leah Remini, go through each scene so smoothly, but when a Salt-N-Pepper song comes on and leads to a very entertaining dance party, you are patiently waiting for Maya to join in and let loose.
Overall, Second Act is a pretty entertaining film that shows off Lopez’s charm with some predictability along the way but is still a cute, fun movie to watch.