I had low hopes for this film. It's directed by Shawn Levy, one of the worst directors of all time. It stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, both of whom can't really act and are only in films now because of their social/celebrity status.
Nevertheless I was surprised because despite some really hideous reviews and bad promos, the movie isn't awful. As a means of silly entertainment, it's sweet, good-natured and occasionally funny, even if all the gags are recycled from other flicks. I counted quite a few. The first fifteen minutes alone have: - Last regrets before the wedding (e.g. bride feels bad about keeping secrets from future husband, etc.) - Groom picks up bride to be romantic, ends up slapping her head against the door frame (also see...any other movie about newly married couples) - They try to have sex on an airplane, get limb(s) stuck in the toilet (also see "Vegas Vacation," which was a scene recycled from other films to begin with) - Mean airline stewardesses (also see "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Meet the Parents" and "Midnight Run" and...) - Mix-up at the rental agency in terms of car/transportation, they end up with a lesser car (ripped right off of the aforementioned "P,T&A") - Get stuck in snow ("PT&A" again!) And so on and so forth...
Some of the gags are too crude and shouldn't be included - the pathetic joke about the vibrator as a honeymoon present is unnecessary. Sticking it into the wrong electrical current outlet is a good payoff, but I was expecting it to be handled funnier. It's a bit anti-climactic.
Overall this is an "embarrassing situation" comedy where lots and lots of bad stuff happens to people minding their own business. It's kind of like "Meet the Parents" - events continually spiralling out of control, bad luck for good people - but not as funny or well-developed. The characters are likable which helps out a lot. The direction isn't as bad as I expected.
But the script could have used polishing and the whole premise has been dealt with before. As a means of simple 90-minute entertainment, you could do a lot, lot worse (trust me!). But I'm just hoping they don't make another one. (I can see it now: "Just Parents," "Just Grandparents," "Just Divorced" and then "Just Deceased.")
