27 robes

I watch Grey's Anatomy every week so I guess I'm a bit of a Katherine Hiegel fan. I liked her in Knocked Up and she's decent in this film. In fact the whole cast is quite good. I just felt like I had seen this film before somewhere (or parts of it in different films). I guess I watched it because I'm getting married soon so I wanted to see the dresses in the film (and there are some amazing ones and some interesting ones for those who care about dresses). The audience didn't seem to laugh as much as I thought they would. This is not the same kind of film as Knocked Up and maybe people were expecting that. Otherwise, its a decent Tuesday-night date movie.

Although this movie is a bit typical, it's still a breezy, light hearted romp, which is all it appears to be trying to do. It's got formulaic construction familiar in romantic comedies, yet it knows it's just harmless fluff and doesn't try to be anything more.

Kathryn Heigl is certainly the strength of the film, with an exuberant approach to her "hopeless romantic" always the bridesmaid character who longs for that special day of her own. The performance is playful and silly when needed, and sweetly honest in the more serious moments. The rest of the cast are all good, too; the personality collisions of various characters are usually well done. The sight gags involving the dresses are clever, and the story runs its course effectively.

There are weaknesses, such as the ugly, mean spirited, and out-of-place slide show sequence. The script could have accomplished the point which is made there in some better way.

Light popcorn fun. Like fast food, it probably won't stick with you for long, but it's good for some entertaining silliness. One thing I'm still wondering: how much would scuba-gear set back the wedding party members?

Jane (Katherine Heigl) has always been good at taking care of others, but not so much in looking after herself. Her entire life has been about making people happy -- and she has a closet full of 27 bridesmaid dresses to prove it. One memorable evening, Jane manages to shuttle between wedding receptions in Manhattan and Brooklyn, a feat witnessed by Kevin (James Marsden), a newspaper reporter who realizes that a story about this wedding junkie is his ticket off the newspaper's bridal beat.

Jane finds Kevin's cynicism counter to everything she holds dear -- namely weddings, and the two lock horns. Further complicating Jane's once perfectly-ordered life is the arrival of younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman). Tess immediately captures the heart of Jane's boss, George (Edward Burns). Tess enlists her always-accommodating sister to plan yet another wedding -- Tess and George's -- but Jane's feelings for him lead to shocking revelations... and maybe the beginning of a new life. Very dry but still good. 27 Dresses 5/10

Greetings again from the darkness. Exactly as you might expect ... a chick flick with one layer. No problem with a movie that doesn't try to be something it's not. Director Anne Fletcher seems to be the straight-forward type and she is making a good living with it. Doesn't hurt when your simple, predictable lines are played out by Katherine Heigl, Edward Burns, James Marsden and the underrated Judy Greer.

Heigl ("Knocked Up", "Grey's Anatomy") is nice to look at and has excellent comedic timing and a strong screen presence. Hopefully she doesn't settle for just straight up comedy as I would like to see her tackle some serious material in the next year or two (see Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts). Marsden is certainly an up and comer ("Hairspray") who has the looks to go with his talent. Judy Greer seems to have taken over the Joan Cusack roles of playing second fiddle and then stealing every scene. Over the top a couple of times here, but her scene with Heigl after the slide show is top shelf stuff.

Basic premise is pretty funny but there are no twists and turns. Still for the chick flick formula, it is passable thanks to the strong cast. Biggest problem is the casting of Malin Akerman as the "pretty" sister. That's Hollywood's notion ... Heigl gets the nod any day in the real world.

A girl is the bridesmaid everyone dreams of. Punctual, helping in any way she can, refuses to say no no matter how impossible the task at hand, etcetera. The same girl is also single, unable to bind to anyone as she keeps putting her self aside to be able to aid others. But a change of things is in the wind.

27 dresses starts by quickly explaining its main characters by cycling through some scenery that works well for such purpose. Since none of the characters are very difficult (if at all) it doesn't take long and actually takes just long enough. It then continues with the rest of the story and that is where things go wrong. It's a very typical tale and been seen far too often in films already. And although this can still work out in some occasions it can only do so when it brings it with a certain flair and strong dialog. And that's where this one fails - it brings a standard story with a next to standard grace and that just isn't good enough any more.

It does show potential in some parts of the film and I am sure that if it had held on to the pace and dialog in those parts that it would have become one of the best films of the year so far, but now, it's a thirteen in a dozen that is best watched on DVD during the more boring parts of the day.

5 out of 10 wedding dresses smudged with bleakness