The Wedding Ringer
(2015)He's the best man money can buy.
Kevin Hart (Ride Along), Josh Gad (Thanks for Sharing) and Kaley Cuoco (TV’s The Big Bang Theory) star in this comedy from first-time feature director Jeremy Garelick (writer of The Break-Up) about a loser with no friends who hires a guy to pose as the best man for his upcoming wedding.... More
Lacking a best man, Doug (Gad) is steered in the direction of a professional (Hart) who assembles a team of fake groomsmen, without the knowledge of Doug's fiance Gretchen (Cuoco) - luckily, since her seven bridesmaids are the motivation for at least one of the stand-ins to attend the wedding. As the couple's big day approaches, Doug finds himself moving heaven and earth in an attempt to keep his hair-brained scheme on track and under wraps.Hide
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Directed by Jeremy Garelick (feature debut)
Starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Affion Crockett, Kaley Cuoco, Ken Howard
Written by Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 6 providers
Flicks Review
BY Dominic Corry Flicks Writer
I go into every movie trying to like it. I have a very low comedy threshold. I like Kevin Hart. I lamented Ride Along going straight to DVD in this country. I rented it and enjoyed it. I like Josh Gad. He was good in the underrated sex addiction movie Thanks For Sharing. I can easily get onboard with a ridiculous movie conceit.... More
Despite all of this, I really struggled to find much to enjoy about The Wedding Ringer.
The not-particularly-impressive high concept at the film's core betrays the fact that it's based on a hot spec script from a decade ago, when films like Wedding Crashers were burning up the box office. It sold for a tonne back then, and has sat in development hell ever since. It should've stayed there.
There is mirth to be found in the movie, especially if you're partial to Hart's rapid-fire patter (which I am), but the suspension of disbelief is fatally undermined by an uneven tone and unearned bids for pathos. The deception that drives the story is as ridiculous as they come, yet the film also covets redemptive character arcs. These two ends are at odds with each other, and resulted in little to no investment in the proceedings.
The oddball supporting cast offers intermittent relief here and there, but overall the film is a depressingly generic exercise.Hide
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The Wedding Ringer
BY RealityCheck superstar
The Wedding Ringer
Much like ‘The Wedding Singer' meets 'Wedding Crashers', with some 'Princess Bride’ & ‘Hangover’ thrown in. Great chick-flick film with lots of man-humour. Great roles an silly humour throughout. Don't expect too much from this, it's a good laugh, thought provoking in parts, and with (I felt) a cool ending.
Genre : Comedy mostly, possibly a little romantic
3/5 - Felt pushed at times, mostly one-liners but overall funny & I felt the ending kind of saved it a little.
The Press Reviews
33%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Increasingly smacks of desperation as it approaches its big-day climax. Full Review
A certain derivative, deja-vu quality isn’t the only sin this lazy, numbingly routine, very occasionally amusing comedy commits. Full Review
The film’s lazy reliance on distraction extends to keeping its female lead underwritten and unsympathetic. Full Review
Takes the shortest route whenever possible, which usually means a gratuitous insult. Full Review
Too often the filmmakers go for cheap shots. Full Review
One insidious issue with the film though is its repulsive chauvinism. Full Review
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