No Strings Attached lacks excitement to keep the audiences on their toes and wondering about what’s about to unfold next.

Ashton Kutcher, who’s best known for his role in That 70’s Show as the feebleminded pretty boy Micheal Kelso, stars in this mediocre romantic comedy as Adam, a struggling screen writer who randomly keeps bumping into busy bee friend Emma, an aspiring doctor, played by “Black Swan” star and two-time Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman. This film begs the all too common question, Can two people have a sexual relationship without either parties getting attached?

Emma and Adam meet at a party for the first time at the awkward age of 14. Four years later, they meet up at a college party and she invites him to a “stupid thing” the next day. That “stupid thing” ended up being her fathers’ funeral, which I found quite bizarre.

A year later, Adams girlfriend breaks up with him and he subsequently gets absurdly drunk. Randomly, Adam finds himself on Emma’s couch. They began the sexual rendezvous and the plot begins to get rather ordinary. Emma is timid when it comes to being emotionally vulnerable, and claims to only want Adam in a sexual way, no flowers, no dating and no breakfast. Adam is fascinated that she doesn’t want anything serious, and he slowly starts to get attached.

This storyline has been done before; where the woman wants only sexual gratification from the guy and nothing else. Every guys fantasy! It’s similar to Edward Zwiks “Love and Other Drugs”, except without the pre on-set Parkinson’s disease and the emotional, almost too serious anguish of going through issues in real love. Adam and Emma weren’t showing that in depth aspect of love, (not to say she should have been diagnosed with an incurable fatal disease to show some profoundness) it was more like sexual lust, so the plot fell flat.

There aren’t many surprises, except for a cameo by Chris Bridges a.k.a. Ludacris, who plays Adams friend and confidant. His comedic timing is flawless, and gave the movie its comic points. The film also starts Kevin Kline, (The Conspirator) who plays Adams father, and eventually starts to date his sons ex girlfriend, played by Olivia Thirlby.

Emma is quite predictable as she runs every time Adam begins to slip away and of course he reluctantly, but expectedly, takes her back. Adam adoration of her is obvious, and a bit mundane.

The plot is “cute,” it’s basic and simple. Any 15-year-old would agree and absolutely love this movie. Not to mention the characters are ridiculously good looking and watching them “getting it on” is enough eye candy to diagnose a cavity in the cornea. But if you’re looking for a plot with some substance, some thought and twists and turns, I’d say look elsewhere.