Rebel Wilson's an unlikely action hero in Bride Hard as Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore sequel falls flat

News.com.au

5 days ago

Aussies Rebel Wilson and Naomi Watts are front and centre on the big screen, as Adam Sandler revives a cult comedy classic
BRIDE HARD (M)
Director: Simon West (Con Air)
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky, Stephen Dorff.
Let's call the whole thing off
No need to be hunting for any subliminal meanings within Bride Hard's title.
The only objective here is to mash-up the rom-com raunch of Bridesmaids with the all-stops-out action of Die Hard.
While there have been worse reasons for a movie to be wished into existence, there is much to this uneven production that will have you wishing it never existed at all.
To get right to the heart of an insurmountable problem, the movie's comedy department is simply never open for business.
Inept joke construction and lifeless line delivery tease an eerie emptiness from scene after scene, cold-bloodedly killing each and every chance of a laugh.
What about the action stuff in Bride Hard? Surprisingly, it goes down quite well.
Partially because the mindless mayhem at hand offers some welcome respite from all those thudding punchlines.
And also, because an unusual choice for an action heroine in Rebel Wilson throws herself into the fray with a gameness and gusto that the rest of Bride Hard sorely lacks.
At least the plot is easy to follow, which some might consider to be a vague plus.
Wilson stars as Sam, a decorated spy whose latest mission is to serve as maid of honour at the coming wedding of her lifelong best friend Betsy (Pitch Perfect regular Anna Camp).
After Sam's undercover commitments see her dismissed from Betsy's bridal party on the eve of the big day, a sudden shot at redemption appears out of nowhere.
With the wedding ceremony overrun by machinegunning mercenaries taking hostages and wanting a cache of gold, the only resistance mounted comes from Sam in her codenamed guise as Agent Butterfly.
Unfortunately, the consistent lack of zing ruining the comedy scenes eventually smothers any lasting interest in Sam's solo quest, or what will become of the unlikeable Betsy and her equally unappealing entourage.
Bride Hard is in cinemas now.
THE FRIEND (M)
****
General release.
Be sure to mark down this dog-centric comedy-drama as one of the hidden movie gems of the year. Those who go looking for The Friend will be rewarded with an experience that is both instantly fetching and lastingly absorbing. On paper, the concept does not look promising. Two hours of Naomi Watts emoting at a Great Dane? That can't possibly work. And yet, the movie achieves complete success for one genuinely miraculous reason. The aforementioned Great Dane emotes right back at Watts with the same depth of character and expressive range as his human co-star. Watts plays Iris, a New York-based writer and editor reeling from the sudden death of her beloved creative mentor, Walter (Bill Murray). Turns out Walter's final gesture before his tragic passing was leaving custody of his canine companion Apollo to Iris. Much of the movie is taken up with Iris' ill-equipped efforts to care for a dog the size of a small horse in an apartment the size of a postage stamp. The close proximity of this lonely woman and stoic pooch – both of whom are in differing states of deep mourning – sparks a gradual joining of forces that is a pure delight to witness. Just as impacting is a handful of scenes shared by Watts and Murray where the actual nature and meaning of Walter's inexplicable death is revealed. Highly recommended.
HAPPY GILMORE 2 (M)
**1/2
Now streaming on Netflix.
Back in the mid-1990s, Happy Gilmore was the goofy golfing movie where Adam Sandler forged a screen persona that would later see him become the most successful comedy drawcard in motion-picture history. These days, Sandler is more of a businessman than a funnyman. A nine-figure stay-and-play deal with Netflix means he doesn't have to worry about crafting product that will sell cinema tickets. A second Happy Gilmore was always going to happen, and it was always going to be more of a reunion than a reboot. Therefore Sandler stacks the deck of this second Happy Gilmore with countless callbacks to what longtime fans loved about the first one. As for relative newcomers to Sandler's shouty, louty shredder of the fairways, there is a huge stack of sports celebrity cameos and big names in small roles to be enjoyably sifted through. As for a story, all you need to know is that an older, but no wiser Happy is doing it tough in his late fifties, taking to the booze after he accidentally killed his wife with a stray golf ball. However, with five kids (and John Daly) to feed, clothe and support, Happy must eventually pick up the clubs and make one last attempt to come in under par, or see out the rest of his days stuck in the sandtrap of life. There's arguably too much golf and too few good-to-great gags to land this on the same green as the original. Nevertheless, there is a sweet swagger to all the swinging and missing in play that true Sandler-philes will be unable to resist.