By NATALIE SACKET & CHRIS PUNTO
Columnists
When we decided to continue feeding our comedic side this week, we also decided that it would be a good time for one of our slightly obnoxious, romantic double dates. Hooray for being practically married in college! Our pick this week:
“The Wedding Ringer” (2015)
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Chris’ Review-
4 wedding rings out of 5
Let me start off by saying that I’m a bit biased in this film because I am a huge Kevin Hart fan and I have been since 2010. That being said, this movie was not a letdown. I was actually a bit skeptical going in because one of his last films, “Ride Along,” was a bit of a flop for me.
Aside from the little man, Josh Gad put on a hilarious performance as the stereotypical chubby nerd. Although I must admit that it is weird seeing the man who voices Olaf from “Frozen” drop some swear words and smoke weed.
There are also a lot of movie/television show references that make this film even funnier to those in the know, but you don’t have to be a cinema dork like Natalie and me to be able to enjoy this film. It’s definitely not a family film but if you want a good chuckle, go for it.
Bottom Line: This movie requires a certain kind of humor. It’s not one of those films that has to rely on swearing every five seconds to get the crowd to laugh, but it isn’t a highbrow comedy either. If you are a Kevin Hart fan or you have $5 and an evening to kill, go watch this film. I think most people would be surprised.
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Natalie’s Review-
3 wedding rings out of 5
“The Wedding Ringer” follows a standard formula for a comedy, full of misunderstandings, comical deception, and plenty of cheesy gags. This film in particular seems to borrow from other films such as “Wedding Crashers” and “Hitch.” That being said, there’s a reason this is a formula for a comedy; it has all the components to make the audience laugh.
Josh Gad and Kevin Hart team up together as groom and hired best man to attempt to pull off a fake groom’s party when Gad realizes he has no friends to stand beside him at the altar.
Gad and Hart have surprisingly great chemistry. Gad’s socially awkward (I feel his pain), yet lovable and charming (can’t relate as much there) character contrast nicely with Hart’s charismatic and smooth persona. The two have a brilliant on-screen comedic chemistry. I’ll admit that I laughed out loud numerous times. I’m not typically a fan of Kevin Hart, so I was pleasantly surprised by this film.
It does have a significant amount of adult content, including sexual references, language, drug use and brief nudity. Basically the same things you hear on a regular basis on a college campus, though this probably isn’t the type of film you’ll want to take little cousin Billy to.
Bottom Line: It’s a very strange tale of an unlikely friendship, one that’s sure to provide many laughs.