LICENSE TO WED

Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Christine Taylor, Peter Strauss, Roxanne Hart, Josh Flitter

"First came love ... then came Reverend Frank"

Cinema 6, SM Megamall

I reckon being Robin Williams isn’t easy. Not when people expect you to be funny in every single comedy that you appear. But ultimately, people need to understand that an actor is only as good as the script/plot entails. I mean is it really fair to blame Robin Williams for this flop? Or do we shift the blame to the other stars in this dismally disappointing film? Mandy Moore’s refreshingly tall figure (my polite way of saying she is an average actress) didn’t do much to salvage the film. While John Krasinski of “The Office” fame (a TV show not included in my list of shows to tune in to every week) appeared painfully rigid in some if not all the scenes. And Robin Williams well he was trying desperately to just be his usual goofy self.

So I’d blame the lack of creative talent on the part of the scriptwriters. Surely the premise was good. An overtly eager to the point of being obnoxious reverend makes engaged couples take his personalized marriage preparation course. A kind of test to judge if they are indeed ready for the trappings of married life. The course has a list of rules like “no sex before marriage” and inane silly exercises the enrolled couples must engage in. Such as carrying the bride over the threshold, dealing with crying babies (freaky dummies which look more like gargoyles than cute infants) and simulating different scenarios so the couples would know how to react during such situations. It is during these situational comedic moments where the film really falters. Somewhere between the point where Reverend Frank wiretaps their phone to eavesdrop on Sadie and Ben to the point where a conflict arises, you simply stop caring if they pass the darn course or if they even get married, after all. Yes it was that bad, unfortunately.

Since I’m a positive type of person or at least I try to be one, I need to strike a balance and find something ‘good’ about the film. I guess the ‘nice’ thing about the film would be the fact that it deals with weddings or planning one. And yes weddings or planning one is indeed stressful and hectic but it is also a happy and exciting occasion to bond as a couple. So if nothing, this film shows us how Sadie and Ben connected together as a soon to be wed couple. They dealt with conflicts amicably, always being bright and cheerful when troubles arose even though Reverend Frank was hell (no pun intended) bent on ruining the rosy picture.

Oh huh does this mean that Robin Williams is indeed the culprit? The one who ruined the film? Hmmm I guess so! Because even the outtakes at the end of the movie wasn’t funny. Oh dear, I rest my case!