One of the gifts or curses of reviewing films for decades is that ability to spot a fiasco in the first few frames.

Some movies start off with promise and lose it. Some stumble but give you the hope that they’ll settle down. But a “fiasco” is a movie that makes one wonder why it was ever made, why those who made ever thought they were capable of faking “competence” in their script, on a set directing a 20-30 day shoot and in the finished product — 97 minutes of screen time.

“The In-Law Gang!” is bad from the get-go, and only gets worse the more “going” it gets through.

A flatly-acted opening scene shows a holiday meal the abruptly ends when the hostess wields the carving knife in a manner that underscores “This is OVER.” No escalation to that moment, no acting signs of heightened emotions and fury. Just a limp direct insult or two and bam, “knives out.”

The credits that follow are the most banal collection of street signs and ariel shots ever to underscore credits. Is Macon, Georgia, the setting? Atlanta?

The Vegas Elvis impersonator wedding chapel scene that marries Cassie (screenwriter and star Jessie Jaylee) and John (Nashawn Kearse) features the impersonator singing “Love Me Tender,” whose copyright usage might have cost more than the movie, and the rustling sounds of fabric against microphone.

That’s great, because much of the movie sounds off-mike. No, most movies don’t merit release with such amateurish blunders in the finished film.

The story is about that marriage, and the war on it waged by the mother of the groom (LaShonda “Lala” Courtney) and her minions.

“Operation: Broken Marriage is in full effect!”

The insults, by one and all, are right to Cassie’s face — at meals, at meetings, around the Christmas tree.

“Let’s hope John is better at picking presents than he is at picking wives!”

Simple as that plot is, the movie wanders all over the place trying to flesh that big fat nothinburger into something that employs a LOT of actors.

Characters wander into the tale without properly identifying themselves or being identified by others.

“Heated” arguments have no heat. Sets look like something whipped up with no time and no money (a restaurant that looks like what it is, a briefly-rented storefront).

And blown lines abound, a common trait shared by many a film meriting the label “fiasco.”

“You act like I was asked to be born…” “Why argue over something of such less importance?”

Does nobody know the mother tongue well enough to know they’ve blown a line and ask for another take? Was it scripted this way?

Is director J. Jesses Smith deaf? Or was this the best take he could get?

The acting’s bad, with only established player Clifton Powell coming off as “belongs on a movie set.”

Our screenwriter/leading lady, her leading man and the hip hop music video director behind the camera would have been better served burning this misfire rather than letting the world know you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.

Rating: unrated, decorated with F-bombs and songs with F-bombs

Cast: Jessie Jaylee, Nashawn Kearse, LaShonda ‘LaLa’ Courtney, Clifton Powell

Credits: Directed by J. Jesses Smith, scripted by Jessie Jaylee. An Entertainment Squad release.

Running time: 1:37