★½
Shotgun Wedding is a lifeless romantic action-comedy that drags for the entirety of its 100-minute run time. There is a myriad of problems when it comes to this entry by director Jason Moore, ranging from the cookie-cutter plotline to the noticeable lack of chemistry within its crew. Not once did this movie seem to hit its stride, it is a slog from start to finish, a completely uninspired comedy that deserves to be skipped.
Darcy (Jennifer Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) are getting ready for their big day. After some tedious wedding planning, Tom decides to get married at a “budget” resort in the Philippines, refusing to use any of Darcy’s family money. The couple takes pride in paying for their own wedding, much to the dismay of Darcy’s father. On the day of the wedding, the soon-to-be newlyweds get into a fight, and decide to call off the marriage. Before they can break the news to their guests, the wedding party gets hijacked by Filipino pirates. Now, Darcy and Tom must save their friends and their relationship.
The plotline seems like it could be interesting if a competent film were built around it. There is just no weight to any decision made throughout the story. When Darcy and Tom decide to call off the wedding, the audience is just left wondering, well, why? It didn’t seem like things were that bad. And if you’re looking for the obvious tropes, don’t worry, Shotgun Wedding has them all. Ex-boyfriend invited to the wedding? Check. Groom-to-be vying for his father-in-law’s love? Check. The film is littered with story beats we’ve all seen before; only this time, they are set against the backdrop of a hostage situation.
The casting decisions also come across as curious, with almost everyone feeling out of their league. Lopez does a good enough job on her own, but when she and Duhamel share the screen, it becomes difficult to watch. The only nice surprise here is a humorous performance from Jennifer Coolidge, who plays Tom’s out-of-place midwestern mother.
Shotgun Wedding, for the most part, is mindless. If you are looking for something that allows you to just shut your brain off for a couple of hours, this could be a fine pick. Just don’t go into it looking for anything memorable, because you have seen it all before. For everyone else, Moore’s romantic comedy is definitely worth skipping.
