The Incubator

The Incubator

‘Twins’ reunite with Reitman to deliver funny dialogue, solid
performances in latest ‘Junior’

By Lael Loewenstein

Daily Bruin Staff

Even if it offered nothing more than a pregnant Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Junior, for curiosity value alone, would be worth
the price of admission. But there is more: The movie boasts an
outrageously funny, surprisingly touching script and superb
supporting performances from Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson.

Much of the credit for the success of Junior is because of
director Ivan Reitman, who knows how to showcase Schwarzenegger to
his best advantage. Having worked with Arnold twice before ­
on Twins (costarring DeVito) and Kindergarten Cop ­ Reitman
has a keen understanding of his star’s gift for deadpan,
self-mocking humor. And Schwarzenegger has never been better.

Arnold plays Dr. Alex Hesse, a scientist with the social skills
of an embryonic Conan the Barbarian. When the funding for a radical
pregnancy experiment is cut, his colleague Dr. Larry Arbogast
(DeVito) persuades Alex to offer himself as a human guinea pig,
avowing, "Is it natural? Who cares. Is it good science? You
bet."

Fortunately, the clutzy but charming Dr. Diana Reddin (Thompson)
has arrived from England with a freezer full of human eggs in tow.
Taking an egg from her crate and the necessary sperm from his
patient, Arbogast injects Hesse with the biggest syringe since the
overdose scene in Pulp Fiction. Add to that a massive daily dose of
hormones, and you’ve got a pregnant Schwarzenegger.

When those hormones kick in, Alex begins to change physically
and emotionally. Once a frosty and sullen oaf, Hesse becomes
sensitive, warm and vulnerable. Watching Arnold evolve is a pure
delight, especially as he grapples with the physiological effects
of pregnancy: "My nipples are tingling!" he announces, between
trips to the bathroom for morning sickness.

Arbogast intends it as a two- to three-month experiment merely
to prove the project’s viability, but once Hesse becomes attached
to his baby, he refuses to terminate the pregnancy. There are
problems to contend with, of course: Once his supervisor Noah Banes
(a calculating Frank Langella) catches on, he threatens to turn the
event into a media circus. And Alex finds himself increasingly
drawn to Diana, who knows nothing of the experiment.

Everything comes together in the conclusion, which briefly risks
turning schmaltzy but fortunately delivers the laughs along with
the baby.

Taken too seriously, Junior will wither under practical
examination. But this is a comedy, bubbling along with funny
dialogue and performances solid enough to make one forgot how
improbable it is.

DeVito brings his signature crusty charm to the role of
Arbogast, and as Diana, Thompson is an inspired choice. For
audiences who know her only from her repressed roles in period
films (Howard’s End) or serious dramas (Dead Again), she is a
revelation. She did comedy on British television before she was
known as a serious actress. With precise timing and a gift for
seeming light on her feet ­ even when they’re trailing toilet
paper, Thompson proves herself an adroit comedienne, a welcome
addition to the DeVito/Schwarzenegger/Reitman triumvirate.

It’s a real pleasure to find a comedy that sparkles with so much
life, even if Arnold Schwarzenegger has to give birth to it.

FILM: Junior. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and
Emma Thompson. Directed by Ivan Reitman. Written by Kevin Wade and
Chris Conrad. Opens citywide today.