pretty poor fare in a tough genre

Rating: 3/10 (23 July 2007)

Another romantic comedy that is just not up to par. Let's start with romantic - Owen Wilson's character doesn't have to work very hard to be with the girl. Zak is obnoxious from the off, there is NO REASON this woman would be with him. We don't respect her for that choice, so we don't respect Owen Wilson choosing her. And the climactic scene - could they be more obvious in ripping off Four Wedings and a Funeral? Unfortunately, the comedy also falls flat - Vince Vaughn, who I liked in The Break-Up, is really forcing his humour here. All his lines seem contrived, like he is trying too hard. The quail hunt was the first time I smiled, and thank God for Will Ferrell, who livens things up with his cameo. There's a nice little montage for Wilson's lost days near the end, but there are no laugh-out-loud moments like There's Something About Mary or Four Weddings. As for the other stock characters, it was great to see Jane Seymour as smoldering as ever but she is wasted as the horny mum. Foul-mouthed granny was cringe- inducing, while the gay little brother was out of sync with the feel of the film. Only the scary little sister was a worthy creation. In short, a worthy cast ill-served by a poor script.