Shotgun Wedding (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
Sigh. Jennifer Lopez has been married SEVERAL times - both in real life & in the movies - most recently twice last year with Ben Affleck, and onscreen with Owen Wilson in Marry Me. And now, her latest trip down the altar occurs in 'Shotgun Wedding' (directed by Jason Moore), a frenetic, tonally uneven action/comedy that never comes up for air. The plot is as predictable as the day is long {borrowing from so many superior like films such as Romancing the Stone, or even Sandra Bullock's The Lost City - 2 films with manic energy that pair lovers caught in treacherous situations & lets them bicker at each other amid a barrage of stunts & antics}. The Lost City made a ton of $$. 'Shotgun ...' is, instead, gets the streaming wasteland treatment.
Jennifer Lopez plays Darcy Rivera, a lawyer nervously embarking on a tropic isle wedding with friends & family all present for the exotic celebration. She wanted something a bit less 'big', but her Groomzilla betrothed, Tom Fowler (Josh Duhamel), wanted something grand. Stresses occur early due to the menagerie of relatives & friends from both sides of the aisle not meshing. And then out of the blue - literally - Darcy's ex-fiancee, the ostentatious & well-liked Sean (Lenny Kravitz), zips in on helicopter; potentially to stop the marital proceedings from going forward.
But matters really go off the deep end when a band of pirates come ashore - machine guns a blazin' - and take every wedding guests hostage. Their nefarious goal: to get most of Darcy's father Robert's (Cheech Marin) $$ millions transferred to their banks -- or so that seems to be the case. Howwwever, both would-be bride & groom are off high in the trees somewhere, arguing about their wedding, not getting along, & contemplating going forward with their nuptials; completely oblivious to the terror currently being inflicted upon their guests. Soon enough though, their jungle travels turn into a mayhemic fight for survival. Ridiculous twists-&-turns ensue.
This is simply a bad romantic comedy. There is no romance. There is no real chemistry btwn. the leads or any combination of character interactions. The comedy is obvious & unfunny. It is awkward watching dangerous scenarios be broken up by over-the-top humor spurts. Actors like Sonia Braga are given NOTHING to do; she sleepwalks through this. The villains are cartoonish. And it even becomes uncomfortably violent, at times; more so than your usual rom-com. There is also a complete lack of sense of reality & an utter lack of credibility of what's occurring from minute to minute; no plausibility. Some viewers may not mind that. For me, a lack of logic or recognizable human beings in ANY genre of movie is a deal-breaker, for me.
Jennifer Lopez is always an amiable presence. But I'm tired of these weak sauce rom-coms that she does. She is better than this -- or is she? Maybe she doesn't want to dig deep. Maybe she can't let herself be TRULY vulnerable in a role; comedic, serious, or otherwise. Even running around with mud & blood on her and in a torn dress ... she somehow looks immaculate. Josh Duhamel is fine {stepping in late for Ryan Reynolds & Armie Hammer}. But again: no chemistry btwn. he & J-Lo. Unsurprisingly, Jennifer Coolidge is the film's only bright spot in the ditzy mom-of-the-groom role and, watching her wield a machine gun is a riot. 'Shotgun Wedding' has its rare moments, but is a 'stupid fun' movie that lacks any fun. That only leaves: stupid.
Jennifer Lopez plays Darcy Rivera, a lawyer nervously embarking on a tropic isle wedding with friends & family all present for the exotic celebration. She wanted something a bit less 'big', but her Groomzilla betrothed, Tom Fowler (Josh Duhamel), wanted something grand. Stresses occur early due to the menagerie of relatives & friends from both sides of the aisle not meshing. And then out of the blue - literally - Darcy's ex-fiancee, the ostentatious & well-liked Sean (Lenny Kravitz), zips in on helicopter; potentially to stop the marital proceedings from going forward.
But matters really go off the deep end when a band of pirates come ashore - machine guns a blazin' - and take every wedding guests hostage. Their nefarious goal: to get most of Darcy's father Robert's (Cheech Marin) $$ millions transferred to their banks -- or so that seems to be the case. Howwwever, both would-be bride & groom are off high in the trees somewhere, arguing about their wedding, not getting along, & contemplating going forward with their nuptials; completely oblivious to the terror currently being inflicted upon their guests. Soon enough though, their jungle travels turn into a mayhemic fight for survival. Ridiculous twists-&-turns ensue.
This is simply a bad romantic comedy. There is no romance. There is no real chemistry btwn. the leads or any combination of character interactions. The comedy is obvious & unfunny. It is awkward watching dangerous scenarios be broken up by over-the-top humor spurts. Actors like Sonia Braga are given NOTHING to do; she sleepwalks through this. The villains are cartoonish. And it even becomes uncomfortably violent, at times; more so than your usual rom-com. There is also a complete lack of sense of reality & an utter lack of credibility of what's occurring from minute to minute; no plausibility. Some viewers may not mind that. For me, a lack of logic or recognizable human beings in ANY genre of movie is a deal-breaker, for me.
Jennifer Lopez is always an amiable presence. But I'm tired of these weak sauce rom-coms that she does. She is better than this -- or is she? Maybe she doesn't want to dig deep. Maybe she can't let herself be TRULY vulnerable in a role; comedic, serious, or otherwise. Even running around with mud & blood on her and in a torn dress ... she somehow looks immaculate. Josh Duhamel is fine {stepping in late for Ryan Reynolds & Armie Hammer}. But again: no chemistry btwn. he & J-Lo. Unsurprisingly, Jennifer Coolidge is the film's only bright spot in the ditzy mom-of-the-groom role and, watching her wield a machine gun is a riot. 'Shotgun Wedding' has its rare moments, but is a 'stupid fun' movie that lacks any fun. That only leaves: stupid.