Release Date: May 14, 2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual material/humor and language
Written and Directed by: Daniel Taplitz
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Esposito, Peter MacNicol

Plot:
Jamie Foxx stars as a man who, after being unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. Not wanting his male friends to suffer the same fate, he gives them advice on dumping their mates.

Review:
Whats a romantic comedy without the chemistry and the laughs? A failed project in what it's purpose was set out to do. Breakin' All The Rules is a film with full intentions of delivering a story in which two brothers switch identities and neither have any idea that they are both ruining their relationships and careers.

It's a different and original idea that the film takes. One can talk positive about it just on its plot alone. However, the film takes its potential and crumbles it up early on. The concept is on the battle of breaking up and simply relationships in general. Which sex truly knows more on a relationship and if people truly need a book in order to know the route to take in a relationship.

Director Daniel Taplitz has television experience in directing and writing. It show with this film that the transformation he wanted to make from television to film is lackluster. Taplitz lacks in storytelling and in the laugh out laughs. It almost seems like he wastes too much time in certain scenes which could have been cut down dramatically.

A comedy can be incredibly successful if the film never lets the viewer think about its flaws, but instead makes the viewer laugh in its entire running length. With the comedy comes the care for the characters which is something Breakin' All The Rules could have worked on. Although we understand the film is from a man's perspective in breaking up, we never get the woman's side of it, only an instant.

Breakin' All The Rules stars Jamie Foxx in the lead role as Quincy who manages to act well. Foxx is always strong on the screen and delivers a great performance, especially compared to the women in the film and Evan who is played by actor Morris Chestnut. The only unfortunate thing is Foxx is laughless in the film, but always strong in his acting.

The editing for this film is mind boggling because in order to show a day has elapsed, it drives the camera above the sky in a helicopter shot with loud hip hop music playing in the background. Of course, the music is to one's certain taste, but the repetitive cutting and distracting from its subject matter is wholly unnecessary.

The conclusion of Breakin' All The Rules is telling the audience to move on if there are problems and that there are simply more people out there. Its telling the audience to get over your past and look on into what the future hands you. Its completely understood and taken for what its worth, but one can also say its the wrong way for it to come to an end.

Breakin' All The Rules had good intentions, but it lacks in character development, comedy and romance. It also gets caught in its own trap of constantly being repetitive when we all pretty much understood it the first time. The film wants to make a point and it wants to leave a lasting impression on the audience, but instead at the end of it, it is more of a film to laugh at then laugh with.