For the second week in a row, Hollywood has turned out a new action/adventure movie featuring a female in the lead role. But that’s where the similarities end. Last week, Haywire starred mixed martial artist Gina Carano as a special operative, while One for the Money stars Katherine Heigl as a bail bonds collector.

Money was vilified by just about everyone, from the amateurs at imdb.com to the pros at McClatchey/Tribune news. But I’m here to tell you it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. The dialogue here is great, delivered expertly by unique, charming characters, including film veterans like Debbie Reynolds (Singin’ in the Rain came out 60 years ago!), Daniel Sunjata and John Leguiziamo.

Heigl, who also executive produced this one, plays Stephanie Plum, an out-of-work lingerie saleswoman who lands a job at her cousin’s bail bond business to make ends meet. She begins chasing the case that will land her a jackpot of $50,000 should she deliver the guy to the police. But that subject, Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara), is an ex-lover of Plum’s whose case is convoluted — on top of that he’s innocent.

The storyline may be familiar here, featuring an unqualified individual pulling off the impossible. But the supporting cast, including two hilarious hookers, crazed informants and smart-alecky co-workers, is what makes this one worth your time.

The gritty cinematic locale of Trenton, NJ, decorated with nasty garbage dumpsters, burned-out cars and seedy streetcorners, is also quite enjoyable, and might remind you of some pockets of the east side of Joliet.

Listen closely to some of the names dropped here in reference to Plum’s former high school classmates. The names and nicknames referenced are reminiscent of Goodfellas and/or Chicago’s reputed mob leadership circa 1967. It’s a nice touch to an interesting script, which also features some good-natured nods to Catholicism — there’s lots of crossing when referencing illness and/or deaths of acquaintances.

Lastly, I was once again reminded of my own surroundings when Joe Morelli opened her fridge. The appliance was mostly empty, save for ketchup and hot sauce. Hollywood once again strikes a familiar nerve (see the actual photo)!

Quotable moments

“Good judgment is for sissies!” — Grandma Mazur (Debbie Reynolds)

“How comfortable are you with lowlifes?” — Connie, an admin at the bail bond office, inquiring about Stephanie’s skill set

“I can either apprehend criminals or become one” — Stephanie, on her career options

“I’ve seen harder hits at a sweet 16  pilow fight” — Jimmy Alpha (John Leguiziamo), on a fighter’s performance

“You’ve gotta stay sharp, Plum. You’ve got enemies you can’t see” – Ranger (Daniel Sunjata)

Preview profiling

Because One for the Money features Heigl, Cinemark thinks I am therefore interested in upcoming chick flicks, even though the feature wasn’t really a chick flick at all. The upcoming What to Expect When You’re Expecting looks pretty awful, chock full of estrogen and anti-male stereotypes, and features Cameron Diaz speaking with an English accent.

Other observations at the moviehouse:

• Chimpanzee, brought to you by an entity called DisneyNature, appears to be a reality show based on an adopted ape. As far as I can tell it’s the world’s first reality movie. Because it’s all primates, I’m assuming there’s no dialogue — which means it’s already far superior to reality TV programs like The Bachelor and The Apprentice.
• Thirty people were in line to see films at 10 a.m. on a Sunday this week, which made it the second-most crowded atmosphere I’ve witnessed since the last Twilight flick opened.
• Why do the previews encourage you to download a movie app to your cell phone when you’re not supposed to be using that device in the theater? By the time the movie’s over, you’ll move on to Angry Birds anyway and forget about the movie app.
• Based on the preview, The Hunger Games looks particularly humorless. A quick glance at imdb.com also tells me that The Hunger Games 3 is already in production and scheduled for 2015. No mention of The Hunger Games 2, however.

From my notes: “Shower makeouts shirtless guys zac efron.” That’s all you need to know about The Lucky One, brought to you by the poor, emasculated filmmakers that brought you The Notebook.