Katherine Heigl’s new movie One for the Money opened in theaters on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. This time around, she has chosen a role a little different than what audiences are used to.

Based on the best-selling novel by Janet Evanovich, One for the Money follows Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) who has lost her job and has been recently divorced.

Plum is forced to ask her cousin to get a job as a recovery agent at his bail bonding company, and even though Plum has absolutely no experience whatsoever, she is confident that she will get the job done.

As luck would have it, Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara), her ex-boyfriend from high school, is wanted for murder, and the reward is $50,000 to bring him in. Plum has held a grudge for quite some time, and the fifty grand is just what she needs in tough times like these.

Heigl has ditched the blonde do for brown curls and a Jersey accent, and it’s not working too well for her. The accent did not suit Heigl well at all, so her lines didn’t flow naturally. She should stick to roles without accents in the future.

However, Heigl’s chemistry with co-star O’Mara (Terra Nova) is just what this movie needed. They both brought the right amount of romantic tension and clever wit to the screen to keep the audience in their seats.

The movie in general, though, felt like an episode from a television show rather than a full-blown film. Although there were guns and explosions, there was nothing truly exciting about the plot. Of course, there were a few funny lines and scenes thrown in (otherwise it wouldn’t be a romantic comedy), but there wasn’t much else to it.

Here’s to hoping that Heigl’s will make her next film one that suits her better because I love to see her in a hit.

I give One for the Money one and a half stars out of five. The book was probably better.

One for the Money is now playing at the Maui Mall Megaplex.