Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998): Dir: Kevin Rodney Smith / Cast: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg, Regina King, Suzzanne Douglas: Dull to the point where I didn't care whether Stella ever got her groove back. What she needs back is her dignity after being part of this hokey flat romance. Stella is a mother and career woman who travels to Jamaica with a friend. Stella finds romance where age difference becomes an issue. Angela Bassett plays Stella whose job is written off inappropriately before sending her through predictable developments. Director Kevin Rodney Smith is aided by beautiful photography but his screenwriter must have been basking in the Jamaica sun too long because the story written here isn't anything to summarize on a post card home. Taye Diggs is the one performance that survives obvious clichés because he is the one with the plot point to prove. Whoopi Goldberg plays Stella's friend whose conclusion is pointless. She just throws in the odd one-liner to remind viewers that she is indeed a comedianne. Regina King also makes an appearance that she hopefully won't have to regret. This is not a good film. In fact it is not even romantic for those couples into a date night. Convincing argument about age and romance watered down with boredom to the point where I wished Stella would take her groove elsewhere. Score: 3 ½ / 10

On the most part, I liked How Stella Got her Groove Back. It's got all the ingredients: Angela Bassett, another story by the author of 'Waiting To Exhale', Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg to add some humor to the mix. So what was it that made this movie less than perfect? The simple reason is, the movie runs far far too long. Ending after ending after ending is rolled out, and then when the final ending DOES come along, you're like waiting for the movie to continue, because the way the filmmakers chose to end this, IS somewhat lame and predictable. Irregardless of that, I'll see anything with Angela Bassett in it, and she does just fine in the title role. She plays the part almost as if it was a continuation of her role in 'Waiting To Exhale' (You're expecting Whitney Houston and Lela Rachon to pop out any moment.) And oh my god, where did they find Taye Diggs? He's yummy to look at, and his acting is pretty good too! All in all, very good, except for the length.

Have you ever noticed how the excuses for seeing a really bad movie have an eerie similarity to the excuses for adultery? I didn't really intend to see it, it just sort of happened, I never really wanted to, but I was parked in front of the TV and there it was. I thought it might be okay. I was wrong. It is unclear to me why anyone thinks that Stella (Angela Basset) lost her groove in the first place. Stella is rich, successful, unbelievably beautiful, smart, independent, and a fashion plate. We open with her dancing and grooving to the radio, yet we are expected to believe she needs her groove back.It only gets worse from there. I don't want to talk about it. 2/10

"How Stella Got her Groove Back" was a refreshing change from the legion of "Hood" movies that have infested the 1990's. The movie; based on the Terry McMillan novel by the same name; stars: Angela Bassett as a fortyish six-figure income, single mom that falls for a young stud while vacationing in Jamaica."Stella" did not have a plot that revolved around: violence, guns and drugs. It effectively portrays the stigma attached to a older woman-younger man relationship, without pandering to a lot of ethnic stereotypes! It showed what a fine actress Angela Bassett was. It also showed Angela Bassett in skivvies!Every woman that has been accused of "Robbing the Cradle" can relate to this motion picture! How Stella got Her Groove Back effectively portrayed an age gap love story. It takes character to see beyond the age difference in a romantic relationship.