It's 2023 and the same thing keeps happening: Jennifer Lopez crushes it in romantic comedies with mediocre scripts. She's been doing this for 20-plus years, effortlessly charming audiences in subpar material.
Shotgun Wedding has more going for it than most, including a strong supporting cast, decently directed action and gorgeous locale. But it never rises to anything higher than average. Perhaps that's a self-fulfilling prophecy, since this is debuting on Prime Video and starring the living embodiment of average: Josh Duhamel. As hapless fiancé Tom, he's totally adequate. But he's out-acted at every turn by his beloved Darcy.
Their destination wedding in the Philippines has been obsessed over for a year. While dealing with the typical issues - the catering, the DJ, keeping the exes separated - the nuptials are interrupted by two unexpected arrivals: Darcy's ex Sean (Lenny Kravitz) and an armed group of pirates who take every guest hostage. After the initial gunfire, the film follows a pattern that quickly grows tiresome: Darcy and Tom argue, then team up to take down a bad guy, then remember why they love each other. Repeat. Pause for laughter or a gruesome injury. While this R-rated rom-com has a few more swear words and the violence is a little bloodier, this is essentially a PG-13 movie trying to show off.
The film is fitfully amusing and exciting, but it really shines when it gives its supporting players time to shine. Jennifer Coolidge plays exactly what we expect from her as Tom's overbearing mother. Lenny Kravitz is still sexy and funny as the more adored partner. But D'Arcy Carden (Barry, A League of Their Own) really steals the show as the new girlfriend of Darcy's dad (Cheech Marin).
There's nothing especially bad about Shotgun Wedding, but there's nothing especially great either. But as the song goes, if you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with.
