May 15, 2019

Rebel Wilson Headlines Disappointing Romantic Musical Comedy

BEST BUDDIES: Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine star as colleagues and friends in the satirical comedy film “Isn’t it Romantic.” (Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers)

By Kam Williams

Natalie (Rebel Wilson) is a dynamic young professional trying to make her mark on Manhattan. But between a fledgling professional career and a dating life that isn’t faring any better, the Australian architect is close to bottoming out.

It’s a miracle her optimistic spirit hasn’t been crushed, since she was raised by an emotionally-abusive mom (Jennifer Saunders) who said she’d never amount to anything.

Nevertheless, she has made a few friends since moving to the States, including BFF/colleague Josh (Adam Devine) and hunky Blake (Liam Hemsorth), a billionaire who is one of her company’s clients. And her buddies include an assortment of colorful characters.

Anybody familiar with Rebel Wilson’s work knows that she’s committed to over-the-top fare as seen in her biggest hit, Picture Perfect. While this offering fails to measure up in terms of generating laughs per minute, it does at least recreate the ambiance of her typical farce.

The movie is directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, who has cranked out a string of comedies such as Larceny, Naked but Funny, and Stevie TV. Not a picture this critic feels comfortable recommending to any demographic. Consider that a fair warning.

Fair (*). Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, and a brief drug reference. Running time: 88 minutes. Production Companies: Netflix/New Line Cinema. Distributor: Warner Brothers.