The battle of the sexes turns ugly – rather fittingly – in the new romantic comedy from director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, Monster-In-Law).

Uproariously funny in places and politically incorrect to the point of offensiveness in others, The Ugly Truth is as reassuringly predictable as it is unexpectedly potty-mouthed with a voracious appetite for sex talk that marks out the film as distinctly adult fare.

While the contrived denouement will surprise no-one, the underlying message of the picture will, enforcing the notion that a woman should flaunt her cleavage and leave her brain in a make-up bag to land her dream man.

The three female scriptwriters would invariably argue that their crude means justifies the end (the smart-cookie protagonist reclaiming her independence and still getting the guy).

And with leading lady Katherine Heigl listed as one of the producers, this is clearly intended as a humorous tale of empowerment rather than male fantasy writ large.

Abby (Heigl) is a talented producer on a morning television show fronted by feuding husband-and-wife team Larry (John Michael Higgins) and Georgia (Cheryl Hines).

Professional successes are in stark contrast to personal failures – Abby cannot find a man to win her heart, not that she is going about it the right way at all, performing background checks on her suitors.

Her negative perception of the hairier of the species is enforced by the arrival of chauvinistic guest commentator Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), who makes a bold claim: by following his directions, Abby can seduce handsome next-door neighbour, Colin (Eric Winter).

The producer nervously agrees to become Mike’s protegee, and as his out-dated theories reap rewards, the chauvinist realises that Abby could be the woman of his dreams too.

The Ugly Truth finds plenty to distract us before the inevitable declaration of love including an orgasm scene involving vibrating underwear and a misplaced remote control that makes Meg Ryan’s table-thumping antics in When Harry Met Sally look positively tame in comparison.

Screenwriters Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith aim barbs at both sexes, so couples should be chuckling at and with each other as gags hit their target.

They stoke the animosity between Abby and Mike from their first encounter.

‘My cat stood on the remote,’ blurts Abby, explaining to Mike how she came to be watching his dreadful cable show.

‘Thank your pussy for me,’ he smirks sleazily, setting the tone for the rest of the film.

Screen chemistry between Heigl and Butler simmers, and there are nice supporting turns from Higgins and Hines as the co-hosts whose marriage is revitalised by Mike’s unorthodox therapy.

Winter merely looks good in and out of a wet towel because men are as much two-dimensional objects of lust as women: 21st century sexual equality.

• Release Date: Friday 7 August 2009
• Certificate: 15
• Runtime: 96mins

More Pictures