The Wedding Ringer **
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Everyone likes a happy ending, and weddings are the perfect setting. We all know how this is going end, don’t we? Well that could be the only surprise The Wedding Ringer has to offer because the rest of the bromance comedy feels like a complete rip-off of other in a similar vein – even with a few giggles to still be had.
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Josh Gad plays Doug, successful in his career but friendless, and about to marry a gorgeous girl called Gretchen (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting). When asked for his groomsmen list by the bride-to-be, Doug panics and gets put in touch with ‘wedding ringer’ Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart) who will be his best man for a price – and even find groomsmen for an even bigger cost. Hence, the con is on, and Jimmy becomes Doug’s best pal, military chaplain Bic Mitchum, while Jimmy tries to coach the rest of the oddball bunch of groomsmen in time for the big day. Can he pull off the biggest stunt yet?
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The Wedding Ringer is very understandably predictable to a point, with a lot of the plot stretching the realms of believability, but it offers that ultimate feel-good factor – the one that allows all oddballs to become heroes in life. The film does struggle with what it wants to be; either a screwball farce or a lesson in relationships mattering. Obviously, there has to be some substance that flourishes out of all the idiocy, but you do wonder if a more fulfilling and sincere comedy lurks in the midst that addresses why some of us are so ‘lonely’ in life when we’re surrounded by people – that’s essentially the essence of the bromance here. It’s just this film is tonally all over the shop as it pitches for laughs and goes beyond toilet humour one minute then tries to be all serious and philosophical the next.
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Gad and Hart do get off to a less than convincing start, with some clunkiness to their comic timing, until the very end when they suddenly gel on screen – perhaps it’s the wedding moves that seal the deal and show them stepping out in sync? Fans of both will get enjoyment from each of their idols in some form, it’s just the rest of us are left waiting for that collective comedy force to kick in. There are too many daft set-pieces that get in the way of that bond truly taking hold.
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If you like your comedy served fraternity style and aren’t into life grand morals, The Wedding Ringer is perfectly acceptable brotherly-love viewing. Ultimately, someone will win out of all the chaos that ensues; it’s just hard to know who in this instance.
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2/5 stars
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By @FilmGazer
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by lgileskeddie
