“License To Wed” (Warner Brothers)
Someone Revoke This License, Please
Robin Williams, Mandy Moore and John Krasinski star in the new comedy “License To Wed.” It is a light look at the mating game that shoots for hilarity and misses by a mile. Most of the good comic moments were show in the trailer for the film, and all of the bad moments were saved for the poor souls who plunked down their money to be entertained. Robin Williams needs a hit but this definitely is not it.
Sadie and Ben (Moore and Krasinski) are a young couple who are very much in love and very much looking forward to getting married. Sadie wants to get married in the family church while Ben wants to get married in Hawaii or Jamaica. However when Ben sees how much it means to Sadie he agrees to the church plan. This means dealing with Reverend Frank (Williams).
Frank has a requirement that any couple getting married in his church has to go through a marriage course. Sadie and Ben sign up and that is when the “fun” begins. The course is set up to prove they are compatible but the obstacle course it throws up is designed more to break them up.
One of the most disgusting aspects of the course is when Frank and his very young assistant (Josh Flitter) bug the couple’s apartment. This may sound funny to some, but to others it borders on creepy. And this is not the only aspect of the course that is off-putting. Some events seem to be potentially life threatening.
Between the mean spirited aspect of Frank’s actions, and the creepiness of him having a private “altar boy” assistant; the movie comes across as sadistic, peculiar and definitely not funny. Williams can usually lift any movie with his comedic touches but not this one. Every time he goes into his wild man comedy routines he just digs the hole of non-humor deeper.
Mandy Moore is bland in this film to the point of almost blending into the woodwork. There is no spark from her, no excitement, no nothing. And as far as chemistry with Krasinski – forget it! These two seem like the couple least likely to fall in love. Krasinski has shown some deft comic timing in the TV series “The Office.” That is what we expected here, but instead he seems to be walking through his role and looking for the escape clause.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and some mild sexual situations.
Anyone looking for the reliable Robin Williams comedy genius will not find it here. This is one of his worst films ever. That is because we expect more from him. If it had been Chevy Chase in the role we would not have been as disappointed.
I scored “License To Wed” a revoked 4 out of 10.
