Directed By Jason Moore

Starring – Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Lenny Kravitz

The Plot – Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding, just as the couple begins to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage by a terrorist group with their own fearful agenda.

Rated R for adult language and some violence/bloody images

Shotgun Wedding – Official Trailer | Prime Video – YouTube

POSITIVES

“Shotgun Wedding” lacks a lot of elements to its triple-tiered genre classification, but exubberant charisma is never one of them, thanks in whole to the collective ensemble extending far beyond the captivating clutches of Lopez and Duhamel losing themselves to the energy and excitement of their respective roles. Aside from the decorated duo, the film is blessed with a boldly charming and experienced comedic cast that features the crotchety Cheech Marin, the scene-stealing against type casting of Lenny Kravitz, and of course the bubbly endearment of the actress of the minute, Jennifer Coolidge, taking much of the weight of responsibility from her two leads when the film momentarily diverts away from their ensuing madness. Lopez and Duhamel both radiate in their committed portrayals, combining a brunt and brutal physicality to the hectic lunacy of wedding planning that not only illustrates the diverse range of their respective talents, but also helps cement a duo of protagonists whom we embrace and downright invest in. Aside from the performances, the film is also brilliantly paced along a 93 minute run time that continuously pushes the plot forward with little to no cirumstantial lag time to its easy duration. That’s not to say that “Shotgun Wedding” doesn’t offer enough time and impact to properly let the devil in the details effectively register to those enveloped in such, but rather conveys with a chaotic unraveling to the familiarity of wedding’s that often overwhelm with stacking conflicts, and like weddings, is over before you know it. Finally, while much of the film is plagued by the kind of predictability and ocean of cliches that limit its appeal, there are a few touches with creativity that leave a lasting impact to its appeal. The first is with the interchangable dynamic of Lopez and Duhamel once the conflict materializes with the invading pirates, with Duhamel serving as the damsel in distress, and Lopez leading the charge against them. Neither are condemned nor complaced in their respective roles, granting a uniquely progressive spin on an ages old dynamic, with Lopez rising to the occasion in being one of the very best female action stars of this or any generation. There’s also a twist about midway through that, while not entirely unpredictable, does help to attain focus and identity to the otherwise nameless, faceless group of antagonists, enriching the motive and manipulation of their uninvited arrival.

NEGATIVES

For every instance of “The Lost City”, with respect to action romantic comedies, there’s about ten movies like these that whiff into three strikes among the tripe-tiered summoning of their genre classification. In ambitiously reaching for so many directions simultaneously, the film undercooks its romance, distorts its action, and completely underwhelms its humor, leading to an internal identity crisis with many violently abrupt tonal shifts that never allows it to feel comfortable in its own skin. Most apparent is the desparation with living up to be unnecessarily labeled as an R-rated enveloping, straining the punchlines of the material in ways that cater to crude language and spontaneous outbursts that fight so forcefully against the film’s sweeter side, and in dependency undercuts what little tension or stakes hang in the balance from the film’s aforementioned terrorist conflict. This leads to the romantic side or lackthereof, where a complete lack of romantic chemistry between Lopez and Duhamel, as well as depiction to their relationship undercutting what can easily be valued as the film’s biggest selling point. This is where female audiences will be most disappointed because they won’t feel moved by what they’re never shown proof of, attempting to override a lack of belief within the unraveling dynamic that often feels more like a friendship than a romantic entanglement. Then there’s the action, which is every bit simplistic in fight choreography as it is bland in shot composition, with a complete lack of naturalism in the direction of the actors involved. Dejected and disjointed are certainly one thing, as the editing proves with overzealousness, but a complete lack of excitement omits investment, and leaves the film flat for a climax that it follows up with one of the most abrupt credits roll I have truly ever seen. Lastly, while I never expect technical achievement in a film of this calibur, it’s difficult not to assess that the film’s own elements of production feel wasted in a film with such a beautifully exotic setting in tow. The cinematography rarely intoxicates with scenic splendor, the musical score gives way to an over indulgence of top 40 hits, and the color grading occasionally feels so off in its naturalization that it often gives some scenes a strangely outlined green-screen surrealness, making some of the actor likenesses feel computer-generated.

OVERALL
Amazon Prime cordially invites you to a mash-up of genres so ineffectively obtuse that it fails at even succeeding on a single one of them. Come for the brisk engagement time or the charismatic performances of Lopez and Duhamel, but decline for the empty-pocketed production values or predictability sure to rain on the proceedings. Either way, dress your best and prepare for the worst.

My Grade: 5/10 or D+