Wedding Crashers (2005) - User Reviews

Most American movies create the conundrum…If you go to McDonalds expecting a surprising and exciting French Japanese fusion cuisine you will be sadly disappointed; if you go to McDonalds expecting cheap, pre-digested cheese burgers you will not be disappointed.

So it is with “Wedding Crashers”. The Hollywood-buddy-romance-comedy formula is as expected as a cheeseburger and about as nutritious. The two male leads keep the thin script alive, the two girls are babes, and there are cameos by older “character” actors (Mr. C Walken). In other words “American Pie” meets “Something About Mary” meets “Meet the Fockers”. Which is not too bad at all.

Vince Vaughn overacts his way through some amusing wedding scenes, Owen Wilson continues to under act and charm his way through the romantic interludes (he looks more and more like an underfed Labrador). Isla Fisher is a scene stealing teen fantasy and Mr. Walken pulls scary faces and adds a touch of gravitas.

The ending is as predictable as McDonald’s special sauce but then again the conceit of all comedy is to have a three act formula – boy meets girl but boy can’t get girl/ boy struggles to get girl/ boy wins girl. There is a comic side kick, there is a baddy and there is an oversexed mother or sister.

Some 400 years ago a young Will Shakespeare patented the formula in “Twelfth Night” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” . Hollywood has rebottled the formula and half our pleasure is knowing the ending and watching big stars have fun getting there. “Wedding Crashers” is capable, charming and a fine movie for first dates. There is even a glimpse of Jane Seymour’s well preserved breasts.

But greatness it is not. Perhaps greatness only comes in the unexpected, the non-formulaic. American comedies are rarely great. They do drama better. Think great films – “Godfather Part II”, “Taxi Driver”, and “Casablanca” and think why are they great? Because the formula is subverted, the boy does not get the girl in the third act, we are surprised by all the endings.

Is “Wedding Crashers” Shakespeare for the modern film goer? Perhaps. Is it great? No. But then again old Will himself knew “Macbeth” was great (boy definitely does not girl) but that his comedies were stocking fillers. “Wedding Crashers” is pleasing stocking filler that understands the cheeseburger market.

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