Let’s get this out of the way. I hate weddings. I think it’s an antiquated concept that at this point in modern society could be done away with. Aside from the tax benefits, the “holy union” means about to me as the price of tea in China. With that out of the way, enter the newest Vince Vaughn – Owen Wilson buddy pic, “Wedding Crashers”.
Based upon the premise of two best friends who look at wedding season like Bostonians do spring training, this film was like a grapefruit lobbed to Tony Gwynn. There are a wealth of jokes and clichés available. And for the most part, this film was able to hit upon them.
The film works best when Vaughn and Wilson use their chemistry and familiarity with each other to show the audience that they’ve been crashing weddings for many years, and that they know all the tricks. Of course, the crux of the story is that there comes a wedding when sport sex becomes love. Where do they come up with these ideas? It’s like there’s a tree in Hollywood that’s labeled “original ideas”, only it’s been polluted by acid rain and it rarely produces any viable fruit.
This film is buoyed by its excellent supporting cast; Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Jane Seymour, Isla Fisher and a surprise cast member sure to elicit a laugh or two from most audiences (I won't ruin it for you). McAdams does a good job of being vulnerable, innocent and enchanting all at the same time. Seymour should have a new series coming out soon: Dr. Quinn, Plastic Surgery Girl (the film will explain that one). And of course, anything Christopher Walken does is gold. He could read the phone book, and we’d either laugh or cower because of it.
As the film gets underway, after a much too long montage of crashed weddings, Wilson becomes smitten with McAdams and enlists Vaughn to be his wingman and help him get the girl. Hilarity ensues. Or at least, hilarity ensues over the next hour and a half. There are two main problems with this film – It’s too long (a minute shy of 2 hours) and the pacing is all over the place.
Most films like this have an absurd comic beginning, something heartfelt happens, the protagonist screws it up and has to do some soul searching, the film earns its happy ending. In the middle of that very simple plot design, “Crashers” manages to do the ‘screw up – soul searching’ thing a couple more times, leaving the audience feeling all 2 hours of the film. Don’t read too much negativity into the review, this film is funny. It’s definitely worth a rental, or a matinee showing. Better yet, break out that college ID from 10 years ago and get a student price for the late show. But this film falls just short of earning a place with some of the more memorable comedies of the last couple of years.
If you need a chuckle, this is about the only true comedy around (some of the other funny ones on screen right now were meant to be thrilling or dramatic – sorry Michael Bay). Grab a couple of your buddies, or maybe even a date if you’ve got the mojo, and check out “Wedding Crashers”. I’m gonna give it a 3 out of 5, and maybe split the six-pack of Old Style with some friends.
I guess the subtitle "Vaughn & Wilson Coast Through Another Comedy" was too long to fit on posters. Well, to be fair, Vaughn was pretty funny... almost funny enough to make up for his awful part in the truly terrible "Be Cool", which I was tricked into seeing. Wilson, however, despite being the more talented Wilson (Luke shouldn't even be allowed near Kodak film, let alone the kind that goes into a projector and ends up on a screen that people have to pay to look at), is treading very close to "playing the same character over and over" territory. He's pretty much the same character he was in Shanghai noon, except he's not dressed as a cowboy and he's nowhere near as likable.
ReplyDeleteFor every funny part it felt like there was a misstep... what was the point (don't worry if you haven't seen it, these aren't really spoilers) of opening with a ten-minute segment of them at work when they never return to their jobs or even reference them again the entire movie? And they way they try to take the Jerk Fiancee out of the picture? Yes, I do believe I did see that a decade ago in Dumb & Dumber. And about a dozen times since.
I didn't feel it was a total waste, I just thought they missed some opportunites and went with jokes that were too familiar. I didn't need a bag of hammers by any means, but I wouldn't have minded grabbing those other 3 Old Styles from Ian.