Chasing Papi (2003)

Director:

Linda Mendoza

Writers (WGA):

Laura Angelica Simon (story) &
Steve Antin (story) ...

Release Date:

16 April 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Three women. Three cities. Three times the trouble.

Plot:

The successful and handsome wolf executive of the cosmetic industry Thomas Fuentes has three sexy Latin girlfriends: in Miami...

Plot Keywords:

Beauty Pageant | Beauty | Three Women | Beauty Contest | Dating

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Roselyn Sanchez	...	Lorena
Sofía Vergara	...	Cici
Jaci Velasquez	...	Patricia
Eduardo Verástegui	...	Thomas Fuentes
Lisa Vidal	...	Carmen
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Victor
D.L. Hughley	...	Rodrigo
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Maria
Walter Mercado	...	Himself
Carlos Ponce	...	Himself
Joy Enriquez	...	Mary
Ian Gomez	...	Doctor Chu
Diana-Maria Riva	...	Fala (as Diana Maria Riva)
Ivette Sosa	...	Gloria
Barbara Bermudo	...	Miami TV Reporter

Also Known As:

Papi chulo (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild sensuality and language.

Runtime:

80 min | Czech Republic:76 min (DVD version) | Argentina:81 min | Germany:77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German | English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-7 | South Korea:15 | Germany:o.Al. | USA:PG | Argentina:13 | Italy:T | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

Roselyn Sanchez actually was Miss Puerto Rico Petite.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Cars are shown with Florida license plates on the front. Florida only issues one plate and it's placed on the rear bumper.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in John Tucker Must Die (2006)

Soundtrack:

Enigma de Maor

Silly and contrived, but lots of fun

The movie was obviously attempting to be like one of the classic screwball romantic comedies. It succeeds in the style, but not exactly the comedy. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs, but it could've been a lot funnier. I blame part of the failed comic attempts on the writing and part on the actors. They should've just filmed the movie in Spanish. Some of the Hispanic actors really seemed to struggle with the English dialogue. In comedy, it's all about timing, so the expression of the dialogue must be on target. I give the actors points for effort, but all that hard work could've been spared if they spoke in their native language.

I think what mainly makes the film work for me is the fast pace. Despite how silly each situation is, the pace is fast enough to prevent you from dwelling on the silliness. Plus, seeing three beautiful Latina women strut their stuff throughout doesn't hurt either. I saw Sofia Vergara before in "Big Trouble," but she looks different in the movie and I might not have remembered from that previous film because well...I'm trying not to remember it period. It was one of the worst comedies I've ever seen! "Chasing Papi" gives her a much better outlet for her talent. She has got to be THE most beautiful women I've ever seen! Whenever I see her on screen, I feel like Jim Carrey in "The Mask" when he was watching Cameron Diaz do that musical number. If my jaw could literally drop like his character, that would be my exact reaction. I mean, she makes Roselyn Sanchez pale in comparison, and saying a hell of a lot.

All I can say is the film is a lot of fun. I'm surprised by the extremely low rating. And by the way, Paul Rodriguez has a funny cameo, playing similar to the Michael Caine role in "Miss Congeniality."

My score: 7 (out of 10)