In the past few years, many of the most successful US comedies have involved the new ‘Frat Pack’, a group of actors including Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn.

They’ve enjoyed success with films like Dodgeball, Starsky and Hutch, Old School and Anchorman, among others. So, this summer’s offering unites Wilson and Vaughn for the first time in Wedding Crashers. It’s already scored a massive $32 million opening in the states but the most important question remains, is it funny?

John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn) are wedding crashers. When it comes to wedding season, they attack every available service, eating the free food, drinking the free booze and most importantly, hitting on the bridesmaids. Their techniques are infallible and each and every time they manage to lie their way in, ending up with a girl to take home. Their latest target is the ‘Kentucky Derby’ of weddings. It involves the daughter of a powerful politician, whom both men respect. John and Jeremy both immediately fall for two of the bridesmaids and get invited to spend a weekend with the family. But can they keep up their facades while coping with the increasingly bizarre behaviour of the family?

Like some of the other ‘Frat Pack’ comedies, I found Wedding Crashers to be amusing but not really laugh-out-loud funny. It begins with a montage of clips to show just how accomplished the crashers are. Yet it’s insufferably long and by the end gets fairly dull. Once the big wedding begins, things get more interesting. Both John and Jeremy find themselves challenged. John falls head over heels for the already attached Claire (Rachel MacAdams) while Jeremy mistakenly sleeps with psychopathic Gloria (Isla Fisher).

When they get to the family house for the weekend, the film shifts into a sort of cut-rate Meet The Parents territory. But, what with Monster-In-Law and Guess Who already copying that film this year, the ‘uncomfortable situations with other people’s parents’ sub-genre is beginning to get a little overcrowded. We have the foul-mouthed granny, Claire’s ruthlessly competitive boyfriend, the creepy, sexually confused younger brother, the over-protective father and the slutty alcoholic mother. Yes, it really is that contrived. Admittedly, however, there are some laughs to be had from the bizarre collection of characters they encounter.

The film does shift into romantic comedy territory as well and the serious moments do grate somewhat. It sticks strictly to formula and at times is overly formulaic. There are attempts at postmodernism. After a romantic speech one character runs to another and asks ‘Would it be too much of a cliché if I kissed you right now?’. But these moments are few and far between. The film would have worked better if it had striked for a bit more originality and had tried to stay away from the predictable formula of such films.

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn do have a believable chemistry although Vaughn’s routine does tire by the end. In fact it’s the women who tend to shine in the movie. Rachel MacAdams is the real star of the show. Charming and funny, it’s easy to see why Wilson would fall so quickly in love with her. Isla Fisher, best known for being an ex Home and Awayer, generates some laughs as the unstable object of Vince Vaughn’s lust. There’s also a funny turn from Jane Seymour as the mother who tries to seduce the men. Predictable at the end there’s an amusing cameo from fellow Frat Packer Will Ferrell, a ‘funeral crasher’ who believes that ‘grief is nature’s most powerful aphrodisiac’.

As already stated this has become a massive hit and it doesn’t look like the ‘Frat Pack’ will be going anywhere for a while. In the season we’re in it’s hard to hate a film like this. It may overstay it’s welcome with a 2-hour running time (ridiculous for a comedy) but it’s inoffensive summer fun. Just try harder next time guys.

www.weddingcrashersmovie.com

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