A Surpprisingly Smart and Entertaining Romantic Comedy

Rating: 7/10 (2 October 2006)

WEDDING CRASHERS is a smart yet raucously funny romantic comedy that has a little more substance to it than the trailers might imply. The movie looks like a pure slapstick comedy on the surface but ends up evolving into much more. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn play John Beckwith and Jeremy Gray, respectively, two DC attorneys who meet women in their spare time by crashing weddings. Why two Washington lawyers would have so much trouble meeting women that they have to crash weddings is beyond me, but I digress. John and Jeremy definitely find more than they bargained for when they crash a wedding for the daughter of the Secretary of the Treasury (Christopher Walken) and get involved with the Secretary's two younger daughters. The movie is a little long, but consistently entertaining, anchored by a solid screenplay and razor-sharp performances from Wilson and Vaughn. Wilson, is a standout in particular, with a charismatic performance that could elevate him from the Stiller-Vaughn rep company to his own position as a romantic leading man. Wilson lights up the screen here and has never been more appealing on screen. Rachel McAdams is lovely as his leading lady and Walken gives one of his most beautifully underplayed performances as the Secretary. Former Bond Girl Jane Seymour is lovely as Walken's wife and looks incredible and there's a hysterical cameo by comic genius Will Ferrell that's just icing on the cake. Though the screenplay could have used a little tightening, WEDDING CRASHERS is still an entertaining trip providing solid laughs most of the way.