Given how rare good comedies are, little depresses me more than a film that could have been memorable and hilarious, but instead falls flat due to poor direction and a sloppy script.
The Wedding Ringer had potential given its collection of quirky groomsmen and casting of Josh Gad, but nothing manages to save this film from being anything more than a forgettable and mediocre movie.
The premise alone shows signs of lazy writing as it borrows heavily from the much funnier film, I Love You, Man. The lead also struggles with his lack of a social life outside of his fiancé and must figure out a way to keep his big day from being ruined by it.
While The Wedding Ringer may demonstrate a less serious solution to the problem, the film still could have been both entertaining and heartfelt, if done right.
Even at its core, there is clearly a powerful message about the importance of being with someone who loves and understands you, as well as how vital it is to have friends who do too. In fact, the scenes that demonstrate this theme are some of the strongest in the movie. It’s just too bad they become buried under plot holes and shoddy work behind the camera.
All throughout, the auidence is bombarded with one too many close-up shots as well as rapid cuts that both disorient and frustrate. If this was the only problem, there’s a chance I would still recommend The Wedding Ringer, but sadly there it has too many faults to call it anything more than average. The supporting characters provide more laughs than the film’s two leads and the soundtrack is a mix of 2009’s top hits along with uninspired background orchestration.
The sparse amount of humor to be found is enjoyable when it comes, but there’s just not enough of it to make up for its flaws.
