Definitely above average, as romantic comedies go

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2005)

Will Smith stars quite admirably as Cupid in this romantic comedy about "the basic principles" of love (claiming, at the end, that there are none, is just the movie being modest; it really is about showing the broad lines of those principles). It is well-written, keeps your attention and does contain several really good bits. There is also the usual sentimental fluff to keep the hopeless romantics in the audience happy, but this movie is also for guys. The previous comment claims that the movie paints a flawless image of women - this is completely wrong. The very climax of the movie is to criticize women for the way they condemn men for using tricks and tactics in the romantic process, when women are themselves far more guilty of the same thing. Men are usually being looked down upon for planning how to snag a girl because the assumption is that he's only doing it for sex. Will Smith's character in this movie is the other side of the coin, demonstrating a much needed truth to women who think that men are just pigs: some men actually want relationships and not just non-committal sex. And, the movie is also showing that most of the problem about getting a relationship off the ground is the way women needlessly mistrust men - and how this mistrust can get way out of hand and undermine true love. Especially when coupled with the despicable tabloid press, which, while often looking harmless, is the very definition of shallow. I mean, Smith and Mendez' characters really are quite shallow and superficial. The couple we care about is the awkward and overweight accountant and the not-unattainable-after-all heiress, who are the ones not only getting something extraordinary, but fulfilling their most hopeless yearnings, showing that nothing is impossible.
All in all a better movie than I was expecting, with both substance and optimistic messages. I should probably rate it an 8 rather than a 7, but... I'm no big fan of romantic movies, and this one *could* have been a lot more poignant than it was. Although, considering today's standards in film writing, I have to say it was pretty good.