Avis Metacritic

It's a movie benefiting from another sparkling, sexy and emotionally available performance by Natalie Portman.

At times, No Strings Attached feels almost shockingly attuned to the particular angst of its time and place.

There are fitful sparks between him (Kutcher) and Portman, but he is unable to sustain viewer interest in his character. She becomes the dominant figure and that throws off No Strings Attached's balance and impacts the all-important chemistry.

As it is, No Strings Attached is content to be sweet rather than edgy, to make you go "awww" instead of "hmmm."

It leads exactly where we think it will on a sometimes funny, ultimately predictable, journey.

Predictable, cutesy and nowhere near hot-blooded enough.

The movie is rated R, but it's the most watery R I've seen. It's more of a PG-13 playing dress-up.

You've seen worse. The film industry is capable of better.

Remember the "Seinfeld" episode in which Jerry and Elaine try to become friends with benefits, and set up unsustainable ground rules for their new arrangement? Imagine it rewritten by the Romantic Comeditron 2000 as a profanity-laced schmaltzfest, and you've got this tone-deaf dud.

Tedious and forgettable.