Summary:
Stephanie Plum is desperate for money – she’s behind on her rent and her car is about to be repossessed. She visits her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond office to check out a job as a file clerk. Instead she hears about some quick money to be make as a bounty hunter.
The big money involves bringing in an old high school boyfriend, Joe Morelli, now an undercover cop who’s wanted for murder. Stephanie uses common sen=se to figure out how to catch the “skips.” She also finds that people are more willing to talk to her because she isn’t a cop.
There are a few skills she needs to learn and a fellow bounty hunter, Ranger, is willing to help her out. As Stephanie is trying to bring in Joe Morelli, she realizes there’s more to the story. She sets out to solve the mystery and bring in the big bucks at the same time.
My Thoughts:
I’ve read all of the books in this Janet Evanovich series through number 15. I honestly have loved them all. I know, I’ve heard all the complaints about the later stories being a rerun of the earlier stories. I’ve heard (and participated in) the Morelli vs. Ranger debates. I don’t care. I still love the books because they are great escape books and because they make me fall out of my chair laughing.
I really debated on whether or not to see the movie version of the first book. More often than not, the movie just doesn’t live up to the book. At the last minute I decided to see it anyway. Frankly, the only other options were “blow-em-up-car-chaser” style movies. My husband really wanted to see Contraband so we divided up.
One For the Money stuck to the story-ine for that first book. It was a good introduction to Stephanie Plum and her cast of wacky friends. There was a bit of mystery in the story and it did a good job of featuring the “burbs” of Trenton, New Jersey, which is definitely a “character” in the books.
What I didn’t like was the casting of two of the main characters: Debbie Reynolds was NOT Grandma Mazur. She played Debbie Reynolds. Also, I was not happy with the guy (Daniel Sunjata) who played Ranger. That’s not what I see in my imagination when I’m reading about Ranger.
Katherine Heigl and Jason O”Mara were okay as Stephanie and Joe. The one who was perfect in her role was Sherri Shepherd as Lula. I thought she went above and beyond the role. She WAS Lula.
If you are a Stephanie Plum fan, I think you might want to wait for the DVD version. My laugh meter only went off a couple of times. I wish I’d skipped it. I give it a C+.
Gosh, that is too bad! I really like Katherine Heigl too! But I haven’t read any of the Plum books, so maybe I wouldn’t notice as much…
I’ve debated about seeing this one. I just can’t picture Heigl as Stephanie. It’s too bad because the early books are so much fun.
I had a feeling. I did enjoy the first several books in the series and I just didn’t relate to the cast. I’ll wait for it to come on HBO.
I haven’t read any books in this series despite the fact that Evanovich and I went to the same college, in NJ of course, and I love mysteries with a female lead. Maybe I should try the books, but I think I’ll skip the movie.
If they would have asked me I would have told them the guy in Criminal Minds…the total hottie. cant think of his name. He makes me drool. HE would have been the best Ranger. Yummy!
I will be seeing this movie…but maybe wait till the dollar theater. lol
It’s hard to go to a movie and have them cast people who look nothing like you imagined isn’t it.
I am going to wait for the DVD. I saw a picture of the person they cast as Ranger and I was devastated!!! The characters are so much better in my mind!!
The review of the movie is interesting.Although i do not see the movie like these but the story of the maovie makes me to watch this movie.Thanks for sharing the movie.
Debby Reynolds does not even begin to be Grandma Mazur. Wrong, wrong, wrong casting call there!!!
I’m waiting for the DVD too. Lula is one of my faves so I’m glad to see they got that one right.
I feel like you do about the books… sort of a guilty pleasure kind of thing. I think I’ll skip the movie — I don’t really know any of the other stars, but as soon as I read about Debby Reynolds being cast as Grandma I thought “oh no she isn’t!” Who would you have cast though?
I only read the first book Well, actually I listened to it ages ago and the reader was not super so I never read more. I keep meaning to get to it because I know I’ll enjoy them. That being said I wondered about the casting. We’ve been talking about going as a book club but I think I’ll suggest waiting for the DVD.
I was waiting to hear an opinion from a fellow Evanovich fan. I agree that movies never live up to the books.
I’m disappointed about Debbie Reynolds, I thought maybe she could pull off Grandma Mazur. I’ve disliked the choice for Ranger since it was first announced. I’ll have to give this some more thought before I pay to see it. Probably will wait for pay-per-view or movie channels.
Thanks for the review
Great minds think alike! I didn’t like Debbie Reynolds as Grandma either and Ranger needed to be hotter and more mysterious. I didn’t dislike Heigl but I didn’t like her as Stephanie either. I envisioned Stephanie as being quicker, wittier.