J Lo And Josh Duhamel Star In The Latest Below Average Offering From The ActionComedy Genre, ‘Shotgun Wedding
Action comedy has fallen so low as a genre that it's hard to remember that there was ever a good genre. There are great action movies that are really funny, there are great comedies that have action, but these days "action comedies" mostly refer to a big movie star or a very specific concept of a two and a half action movie. . passes through dead zones.
The latest entry in this dubious case airs this weekend on Amazon Prime, Shotgun Wedding , starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel as a couple whose wedding venue in the Philippines is hacked. Man, are the Filipinos ramping up their latest PR venture or something? Between this and Airplane , "The Philippines is the global epicenter of illegal piracy" is really having a moment. (Referring to "destination wedding nightmares" as featured on Hulu's The Drop ).
By the way, Shotgun Wedding is very similar to its counterparts in this genre. Knight of the Day , Tourist , Kapilmish - you've been lucky enough to see a film like this in the last 10 or 15 years, even if you forget it the moment you step foot on the first step of the sidewalk near the theater. The thing about movies like Die Hard , Lethal Weapon 2 , or even The Last Boy Scout or The Long Kiss Goodnight is that they use action scenarios, sometimes allowing the characters to get away from naivety by making them simply deadly. (albeit clever).
Instead, this kind of neo-action comedy works like this: whenever writing a romantic comedy starts to seem difficult, you throw in images of action movies and make jokes whenever writing action becomes difficult. It is seldom that a well-thought-out joke or a well-thought-out act is equal to two written crutches propped up one behind the other, forming a kind of wigwam.
The shotgun wedding is more of a farce ( "Till Death Do Us Part" takes on a whole new meaning in this fun, adrenaline-pumping adventure as Darcy and Tom must save the people they love if they don't. Kill Yourself First ! " ) in the movie. More than meets the eye. To be honest, if you got anything close to an "adrenaline rush" watching Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Lopez fight in Shotgun Wedding, you're probably Amish in Ramspring , I am very excited about your first encounter with electricity and motion.images.
Let's see... Jennifer Lopez plays Darcy and Josh Duhamel plays Tom. They try to plan a wedding without the help of rich dad Darcy, played by Cheech Marin, which they get a little tired of. Complicating the situation is the unexpected arrival of Tom's mother, Jennifer Coolidge, and super-rich Playboy ex-fiancee, Darcy, played by Lenny Kravitz. Callie Hernandez as Darcy's sister and Sonia Braga as her abusive mother. Hey big cast! Unfortunately, they mostly stand by (one in a mask) while at least two comedy troupes (Lopez and Duhamel, who are definitely fun to watch) try to save their families from some not-so-convincing thugs and go on adventures . . looks like a sea urchin! great!).
Did I mention Josh Duhamel's character is a recently retired former minor league outfielder? This fact has come up a couple of times. Jennifer Lopez is definitely trying to go into Sandra Bullock mode here, and she's not terrible, but it just doesn't work for her when she's playing a tough girl with a quiet soft side (Out of Sight ) or as a natural. , laid out. back one. mastery of sexual desire ( Hustlers ). I don't think this woman is a romantic comedy character, sorry. Josh Duhamel remains Josh Duhamel.
Aside from some inspiring casting choices (Lenny Kravitz! What are they saying!) Shotgun Wedding is more of a poster-driven film that demands an extended, passive viewing for an established audience. That kind of thing didn't work with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp or Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, so why did it work with Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel? An action movie in which the action is not taken seriously is not the same as an "action comedy" in the sense that a fight between two popular characters automatically becomes a comedy.
Shotgun Wedding airs January 27 on Prime Video. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can read more about the exam here.
