Wedding Ringer, The (4/28/2015)

Rated R for crude and sexual content, language throughout, some drug use and brief graphic nudity.

Starring Kevin Hart, Josh Gad and Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting

Directed by Jeremy Garelick

Another Kevin Hart film that has a few laughs but far too inappropriate to enjoy, let alone recommend.

Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bro-mance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy.

Wedding tradition states that the bride needs something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Well the story is old, the teaming of Hart and Gad is new, the title is borrowed and the jokes are blue…really blue.

If you’ve seen films like Hitch, The Wedding Crashers and The Hangover, there is no need at all to spend your money of this one. The attempt to be both crude and heart-felt, fails and ends up being quiet awkward.

Speaking of awkward, Josh Gad looks so awkward as he tries to walk that line between the hopeless romantic and just plain hopeless. Kevin Hart has legions of fans and my guess is they will enjoy a few laughs. But for me the jokes were crude, tasteless low hanging fruit. There’s an especially tasteless sequence involving a bachelor party, a beagle, some peanut butter and Doug’s genitalia.

Besides being rude, the film felt it lacked direction at times. For example, there is a scene of a touch football game with three former NFL superstars. This is obviously forced and the result leaves you feeling like someone changed the channel on you.

Finally there is the crisis of conscience that the audience can see coming a mile away. The fact that Jimmy says this is just a “business transaction more than once lets everyone know that the bro-mance is for real.

The film had potential, but with tasteless jokes and weak story it was a “Coaster” for me.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There are a few brief shots of topless women during the bachelor party, which also contains a dog licking peanut butter off a man’s penis (this is the “brief graphic nudity” described in the rating). There are also plenty of crass references to the sex that’s in store after a wedding.

As for the language, there are dozens of F-words and plenty of other profanity.

Kids need to skip this one too.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. How would you describe Doug at the beginning of the film?


2. Why do you think he doesn’t have any friends?


3. Who are some of your friends? Why are they your friends?


4. In your opinion what makes a good friend?

Read Philippians 2:3-4

Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves.


5. How can you put this passage into practice with your friendships?