The Wedding Crashers Review

by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)
July 20th, 2005

"Wedding" Crashes
by Homer Yen
(c) 2005

As far as rude comedies go, here's the best idea to come along in a long time. The premise of "Wedding Crashers" is hilarious. I mean, how can you go wrong with two eager guys who go around crashing weddings to boost their egos and to bed unsuspecting women by taking advantage of the romantic atmosphere?

But goes wrong it does as the film continually revs its engine but can't seem to get it into gear. It focuses on the bold antics of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson who play long-time buddies Jeremy and John. These two will do just about anything and plan their wedding crashes with the kind of laser-beam focus that an airline pilot has when plotting out a trans-Atlantic flight.
Swallowing their humility whenever possible, they tell tear-inducing stories to make women cry. They wax poetic with such sickly sweet lines as: "most say that we use just 10% of our brains; I believe that we use just 10% of our hearts." And before you know it, watch them come. Bridesmaids, pretty guests, and even the occasional unfaithful wife begin to fall in their arms and under the covers. But soon, they are faced with their greatest challenge. They look to crash the exclusive yacht wedding of a powerful Washington Senator (Christopher Walken).
The film's setup is like the announcement before any thrill ride that reminds you to stay seated, buckle your seat belts and to hold fast. The first 20-minutes is a rapid-fire montage showing John and Jeremy at a lot of different weddings. It doesn't matter if it's a wedding for Italians, Asians, Irish, or Indians. And wouldn't it have been really funny if somehow the filmmakers had been able to superimpose them onto other films that featured weddings? You could see them ogling Julia Roberts in "My Best Friend's Wedding," whoop it up during the wedding in "Bend it Like Beckham," or mix it up with those wacky family members from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."
Once the movie begins to reveal its true intentions, there is only one opportunity for comedy. That involves Jeremy who hooks up with Gloria (Isla Fisher), the youngest of the Senator's daughter. But uh-oh, she's a "level 5 clinger" as he terrifyingly explains it to John. John, meanwhile, has started to fall seriously for the Senator's other daughter, Claire (Rachel McAdams).

Hmm. Not only does Claire come across a bit too prissy, but what started as a guerilla-style comedy is starting to take a wrong turn. It's evolving -- no, devolving into a sappy, romantic comedy. There, surprisingly, aren't that many inspired funny scenes. Even its most opportune moment is wasted, which involves the family dinner where all sorts of eccentric behavior has a chance of coming out. Anytime there's a chance to get to know the relatives better, a good comedy knows how to exploit this encounter. Here, you'll leave that scene possibly shrugging your shoulders and cocking an eyebrow as if to say, "that was weird."

"Wedding Crashers" just doesn't fulfill its promise. Now is not the time to have a Jerry McGuire moment. The turn towards the sentimental is a miscalculation. Let Jeremy and John stay the course. Keep them merciless. Give them a high-five when they complete their conquest. Keep the comedy uncompromising. Vaughn and Wilson have great chemistry and we're glad that they are part of the Hollywood comedic set. This is just one of those unfortunate instances where funny people appear in an unfunny movie.
Grade: C+

S: 3 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 1 out of 3

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