Enough

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Billy Campbell

RS: Not Rated

2002 Thriller

Krav Maga is the kick-punch dirty-trick fighting system Jennifer Lopez uses to beat the living shit out of Billy Campbell in Enough, the story of an abused woman's payback on the screw-around psycho she married. OK, it's the same chick-flick revenge fantasy propagated by Julia Roberts in Sleeping With the Enemy and Ashley Judd in Double Jeopardy. But only J. Lo has the advantage of the system taught to the Israeli army.

Without Krav Maga, Enough would be the same recycled date movie from hell -- the kind that makes women see the worst in their guys. You expect more from director Michael Apted (Enigma) and screenwriter Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune) than this cliche pileup.

Booty queen Lopez plays Slim, a waitress who never expects to be swept off to the altar by rich contractor Mitch (Campbell). But marry they do, and baby Gracie follows. Then Slim finds out Mitch is a horndog and threatens to split. This makes Mitch cuckoo. You can tell by the way he beats Slim black and blue. With the help of her pal Ginny (Juliette Lewis) and her dad, Jupiter (a scene-stealing Fred Ward), Slim goes into hiding with Gracie. That is, until Robbie (Noah Wyle), Mitch's bad-cop friend, tracks her down. There's no choice but Krav Maga. Actually, there are a lot of choices, but this movie can't think of any. The gimmick is casting two TV nice guys - Campbell of Once and Again and Wyle of ER -- as creeps. But the trick doesn't work: Not for a second do you believe these weenies are bastards.

What does work is Lopez, who has a genuine star presence (see Out of Sight) even in dim projects like this and Angel Eyes and The Wedding Planner. Say the word, girl, the next time you're offered one of these barrel scrapers: Enough!

PETER TRAVERS
(June 20, 2002)