I have read almost all of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. The first few books in the series were definitely the best (I have not read the last one as yet...I just can't whip up enough enthusiasm for it). The best thing about the books is definitely the wise cracking humor. The movie had a little of it, but I wish it had more of it.
That having been said, I think Katherine Heigl is just fine as Stephanie Plum. I've always liked her as an actress, even in some of the terrible movies she's done in recent years. I thought she was believable as a Stephanie Plum the bounty hunter who is just a big marshmallow inside. My problem with the Stephanie Plum of this movie is her wardrobe! She was wearing fancy suits way too much. In the book, much attention is paid to the fact that Stephanie is usually wearing jeans and T shirts. O'Mara grew on me as the film went on. I had pictured him as a lot bigger and a little more Italian (as he is in the book...after all, his name is Morelli!!) But he and Heigl have chemistry. I appreciate that the sexual tension between the characters is left unfulfilled as it is in the book. I really liked the casting of Debbie Reynolds as Grandma; wish they'd gone a little more into Grandma's love of funerals. In the book, that's what gives us lots of laughs and lets us see more of Stephanie's relationship to her Grandmother. Ranger (Daniel Sunjata) was well cast as Ranger. Sherri Shepherd was just about perfect as Lula, but they didn't give her enough laugh lines.
Overall, the movie stayed fairly true to the book, but it could have been funnier. I am hoping that there will be sequels and that there is a bit more humor in them. Not that this movie was completely without humor; it just could have included a bit more of the wise cracking stuff that's in the book
That having been said, I think Katherine Heigl is just fine as Stephanie Plum. I've always liked her as an actress, even in some of the terrible movies she's done in recent years. I thought she was believable as a Stephanie Plum the bounty hunter who is just a big marshmallow inside. My problem with the Stephanie Plum of this movie is her wardrobe! She was wearing fancy suits way too much. In the book, much attention is paid to the fact that Stephanie is usually wearing jeans and T shirts. O'Mara grew on me as the film went on. I had pictured him as a lot bigger and a little more Italian (as he is in the book...after all, his name is Morelli!!) But he and Heigl have chemistry. I appreciate that the sexual tension between the characters is left unfulfilled as it is in the book. I really liked the casting of Debbie Reynolds as Grandma; wish they'd gone a little more into Grandma's love of funerals. In the book, that's what gives us lots of laughs and lets us see more of Stephanie's relationship to her Grandmother. Ranger (Daniel Sunjata) was well cast as Ranger. Sherri Shepherd was just about perfect as Lula, but they didn't give her enough laugh lines.
Overall, the movie stayed fairly true to the book, but it could have been funnier. I am hoping that there will be sequels and that there is a bit more humor in them. Not that this movie was completely without humor; it just could have included a bit more of the wise cracking stuff that's in the book