By now we all know it's hard to get away from the week of Valentine's Day without a sugary sweet tale of romance that follows all the standard guidelines and checks all the boxes for making us feel like none of us are truly romantic enough.
Well, Rebel Wilson is here to change all that with a new spin on the formulaic comedy routine that proves she's really stepping up to the plate and about to break out as a more mainstream player. Using that old genre trope of an everyday person sucked into an alternate timeline after a bad bump on the head, Isn't It Romantic is a goofy bit of hilarious fun that never takes itself too seriously, all the while proving that rom-coms can be smart, funny and engaging, all at the same time. Wilson, backed by some really great support actors, uses this latest release to prove her worth as a lead player, relying strictly on her unwieldy charisma to let us know she's finally arrived.
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| Damn you, Richard Gere! Give me back my gerbil! |
Going in totally blind, I wasn't sure what to expect. Admittedly, Wilson has grated on my nerves to their innermost core in the past. Somehow, she strays from ever becoming too annoying this time around. In fact, she takes a character that is wholly unlikable and uses a simplistic plot to show us that love is completely blind. Strangely enough, Isn't It Romantic ended up appealing to me in ways that blindsided me in almost every fashion possible. Unlike so many new comedy films, this one never strays into potty humor, relies more on actual talent, and truly has a message about not ignoring the love that might be right in front of you. Yeah, I liked it. Sue me.
If you're looking for a barrel of laughs to satiate your need for some bighearted humor at the cinema, this is a formidable release on a weekend that's going to belong to the mechanical charms of Alita. Luckily enough, there is another choice. Rebel Wilson's new foray into the realm of the sentimental has enough charm to satisfy even the most jaded of cinema goers. If you want an alternative, this might be it. Using quite a few pop culture references, you'll definitely want to keep your eyes peeled for all the little nods and gags here.
This won't be for everyone. But, to my surprise, this was just a load of laughter that's topped off by characters we can all sympathize with. Check this one out if you want to see Wilson move from the back to the front. I went in with a cautiously optimistic approach and was happy when I left the theater.
-Chris George
