I added License to Wed on my watchlist many years ago because of Robin Williams but, like it always happens, if I don't watch it shortly after, it falls into oblivion and I watch it years later, with no idea how the movie ended up on the list nor what it is about.
Well, this one follows Sadie (Mandy Moore) and Ben (John Krasinski), a happy couple who, after only six months, feel ready to get married. It's always been Sadie's dream to be married at the family church with her family minister, Frank (Robin Williams), officiating it. Before they get married, Frank forces them into a rigorous premarital counselling program to see if they are really ready for marriage.
The beginning is quite promising but as soon as the plot starts developing—I'm kidding, nothing develops in here—, it is more than clear that the writers had no idea what they were doing. The result? A story that barely goes somewhere, that is filled with clichés and couldn't get any more predictable. On top of that, it is not even enjoyable. It's a stupid and utterly boring story.
If License to Wed is so unappealing, the credits go to the characters too. They aren't even paper-thin as that would require some dimension whatsoever. They are just a bunch of people with no personality and nothing that makes them stand out. There's a moment in the movie where Ben is asked to describe each of Sadie's relatives with only a word and he's having a terrible time because he's still trying to impress the future in-laws. Well, I felt just same because of the lack of characterisation. And it's not only with the supporting characters but with the main ones too, especially them. How am I supposed to care about Sadie and Ben if they are the weakest and thinner romantic leads ever? Seriously, we know nothing about them other than they both are self-absorbed. As for the Reverend, Frank, he comes off as a creepy, manipulative psychopath.
The cast is completely helpless. I love Krasinski in The Office and Moore in This Is Us but in here they both suck. Their performances are nearly pathetic, they don't make you laugh, and they sure don't make you buy the romance between their characters as they have no chemistry whatsoever. Robin Williams is painfully ridiculous as Reverend Frank, and don't even get me started on the poor cameos from some of The Office's actors.
The biggest issue with License to Wed though is that it is supposed to be a comedy and guess which film couldn't be any less funny? Yep, this one. The humour is so bad, I'm wondering what kind of people enjoys it. I was expecting sitcom-level humour because of Krasinski and Ken Kwapis, who also directed The Office, but I was expecting it to be at least funny —I only laughed once and it was something Williams said. I'm not even sure it was supposed to be funny.
The beginning is quite promising but as soon as the plot starts developing—I'm kidding, nothing develops in here—, it is more than clear that the writers had no idea what they were doing. The result? A story that barely goes somewhere, that is filled with clichés and couldn't get any more predictable. On top of that, it is not even enjoyable. It's a stupid and utterly boring story.
If License to Wed is so unappealing, the credits go to the characters too. They aren't even paper-thin as that would require some dimension whatsoever. They are just a bunch of people with no personality and nothing that makes them stand out. There's a moment in the movie where Ben is asked to describe each of Sadie's relatives with only a word and he's having a terrible time because he's still trying to impress the future in-laws. Well, I felt just same because of the lack of characterisation. And it's not only with the supporting characters but with the main ones too, especially them. How am I supposed to care about Sadie and Ben if they are the weakest and thinner romantic leads ever? Seriously, we know nothing about them other than they both are self-absorbed. As for the Reverend, Frank, he comes off as a creepy, manipulative psychopath.
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| Warner Bros. Pictures |
The cast is completely helpless. I love Krasinski in The Office and Moore in This Is Us but in here they both suck. Their performances are nearly pathetic, they don't make you laugh, and they sure don't make you buy the romance between their characters as they have no chemistry whatsoever. Robin Williams is painfully ridiculous as Reverend Frank, and don't even get me started on the poor cameos from some of The Office's actors.
The biggest issue with License to Wed though is that it is supposed to be a comedy and guess which film couldn't be any less funny? Yep, this one. The humour is so bad, I'm wondering what kind of people enjoys it. I was expecting sitcom-level humour because of Krasinski and Ken Kwapis, who also directed The Office, but I was expecting it to be at least funny —I only laughed once and it was something Williams said. I'm not even sure it was supposed to be funny.
Yeah, this wasn't a very good film and it doesn't show Williams at his best.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite embarrassing for him to be in here to be honest.
DeleteI wish netflix let you add notes when you drop things in the queue because the same thing happens to me. It takes forever, and I can't remember why I put something there.
ReplyDeleteI never bothered with this because Mandy Moore is usually a dreadful actress. (I hear she's okay in This Is Us but I don't watch that)
Okay is a compliment. She is the only thing I dislike about that show.
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