A redundant, clichéd, predictable romantic comedy is the only way to describe License to Wed. Anyone who has sat through one of these sugary, sappy-ended romances knows where this will end up. It thrives on some decent laughs and Robin Williams pulling off his typical shtick, which for the right audience can save the substandard romance.
Mandy Moore is always bubbly and likable, and with co-star John Krasinski, she meshes well on screen. Robin Williams plays the pastor set to marry them in three weeks, but forces couples to prove they’re meant for each other to avoid divorce by completing his self-crafted course in love. As comedy, all this sets up is the opportunity for awkward and occasionally creepy scenarios.
Krasinski’s character takes the brunt of the impact from Williams love tester. In fact, it almost never seems to affect Moore, making the eventual breakdown from the male lead seem perfectly logical instead of making him into the jerk as intended. Most people wouldn’t make it halfway through this ridiculous course before breaking down.
The rules are set, forcing the couple to not have sex, and Williams literally spying on them via electronics planted in their home. The creepy/stalker factor is completely off the charts even for a light comedy, and when he tosses two of the freakiest looking robot babies at them, you’ll probably give up trying to make sense out of anything going on.
Granted, these goofy challenges lead to some laughs, especially when the robot babies go crazy inside Macy’s and Krasinski begins bashing one of them against a counter to the dismay of onlookers. Jokes are inconsistently paced, and the final half hour loses any sense of comedy as the relationship breakdown kicks in as expected.
At a brisk 90-minutes, fans of the genre will have some fun. It’s mostly inoffensive, and barely earns the PG-13. It’s one for a boring day where you have some free time to spare, though it’s hardly worth your time otherwise. ![]()







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