Were it not for all the Bennifer hoopla that turned this harmless little caper comedy into such a much-publicized debacle, it would have gone by the boards as another of Affleck's tepid Romantic comedies. Not as good as Forces of Nature but certainly not as bad as Bounce. Were Affleck and Lopez simply two actors in a film that no one went into with any sort of expectations, there may even have been critics who applauded it. You would have read things like "A quirky little off-beat sleeper with some fun cameos." After all, it's got Walken and Pacino in it. Both of whom acquit themselves with their typical aplomb, but to be sure, are grateful that their parts were minuscule.

Lopez seemed alot more comfortable and more readily lost herself in her part than Affleck did, then again Lopez got all the snappy comeback lines and every move Affleck made was being analyzed under a microscope. With his macho swagger and "Bull and Cow" analogy of relationships, he literally lumbered through the film like a bull in a china shop. But then again Gigli is far from a China shop. The biggest problem with Gigli is it's piss-poor script and hole-filled implausible storyline. Ben and Jen never had a chance with this thing. In a very real sense this script tosses Ben and Jen overboard and throws them a cement life-saver.

The caper itself, wound up fairly muddled - Ben and Jen kidnap the mentally challenged brother of a Federal Prosecutor (Pacino) in order to coerce him to drop some charges against the crime boss (Lenny Venito) that B & J work for. Affleck does the kidnapping but just to make sure he doesn't bungle the deal Lenny sends J.Lo to babysit the scenario. Affleck soon finds himself attracted to his sassy new accomplice, but she cools his jets by right away announcing her lesbianism. Let the games begin. Were this a well written affair, it might have had some possibilities ala Get Shorty etc.

To be fair the film has a few interesting moments. There is a sequence where B & J engage in a very explicitly written discussion about the nature of both straight and gay sex - not the kind of scene you want to watch with your parents in the same room, trust me. A love story of sorts, obviously emerges here, but the plot mechanisms of the big caper, totally lose focus toward the end and the whole thing culminates with an achingly awful ending. An ending that gives new meaning to the concept of pat, and also tries to buoy our spirits with one of the most ridiculous premises ever committed to film.

Is Gigli the trainwreck that it's gained such a reputation as? Yes and no - it has a few entertaining sequences, but, by and large, it's not hard to see why it put a strain on the two superstars' real-life love-life.