Licence to Wed (AF)

Stars: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Peter Strauss, Bob Balaban, Eric Christian Olsen, Grace Zabriskie .

Director: Ken Kwapis

First, I should like to make one thing absolutely clear Williams obnoxious Reverent Frank is no relation for which small mercy I shall be eternally grateful.

That said, are there any positive elements about this witless alleged comedy which has far fewer laughs than a botched post mortem? Well I suppose it could have been longer than its 91 minutes. Unfortunately, watching Williams put luckless Moore and Krasinski through a series of tests whose nastiness would have been envied by the Spanish Inquisition in order to determine their fitness to marry, the time seemed to stretch interminably.

By the time the best sequence (the end credits) finally appeared, I felt as though Id been trapped by Williams ego, his understandably embarrassed (at least, I hope they were) fellow actors and the memorably awful screenplay (five people take on screen credit for the script and theyre welcome to it. Out of kindness Ill not name and shame them their punishment should be to sit through the film). Among the more charming plot lines they have confected are having Moore and Krasinskis bedroom bugged so that Williams and his creepy juvenile clerical-collared sidekick can listen to the couples sexual banter as they try and stick with the Reverends injunction to desist from sex before the wedding.

In summary if this was an in-flight movie, the passengers would be happier jumping from the aircraft without parachutes.

Alan Frank

USA 2007. UK Distributor: Warner Bros.. Colour.
91 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 09 Aug 2007