Made of Honor (2008)

A very safe romantic comedy that plays exactly by the rules and wins the general audience over because it manages to have the key ingredient that makes this genre work: chemistry between likable leads.

Tom (Patrick Dempsey) and Hannah (Michelle Monaghan) have been best friends since college, where their animosity has comfortably settled to fond affection. They're beautiful, brilliant people, and yet they are clueless that they are right for each other. Until of course, a compelling event sets off the requisite sense of urgency for Tom to finally pursue Hannah.

Dempsey is at his leading man best as the charming bad boy who changes for Monaghan, the sensible pretty woman with the non-threatening art job who gets the guy by being understanding and patiently waiting. That, in essence, is the secret formula to chick flick success at the box office. To win over critics, though (but who cares about them in this genre??), the makers need to bring something new to the table, and this, Made of Honor does not do. After all, this is a money-making crowd pleaser and does not pretend to be anything else. It delivers the laughs and is agreeable overall, but don't expect it to bring anything new to the table, not even memorable quotes or a unique soundtrack.