Life Of The Party Review: 2 Ups & 7 Downs

1. Christina Aguilera's Cameo Falls Totally Flat

Though she is featured briefly in the movie's trailers, it's surprising just how little the marketing for Life of the Party has mentioned the presence of Christina Aguilera, who shows up for a brief cameo at the tail-end of the movie.

Perhaps it's because Aguilera's cameo feels so perfunctory and joyless, lacking the charm of the best recent celebrity cameos in hit comedies - nothing tops The Backstreet Boys in This Is the End, right? - and making a limp attempt to hammer home the girl power angle.

Sure, you get a brief nostalgic burst of Aguilera's indelible tune "Fighter", but the cameo's so rushed it feels like the iconic singer had just a few scant minutes in her schedule to get it in the can.

So, it's not a good movie, that much is clear. However, there are a few bright spots that prevent it from being an undeniable, one-star trainwreck...