Bride Wars

Review by Anthony Morris

There is nothing wrong with a comedy making a crazy assumption or two in order to get laughs. 

Unless, of course, that comedy is Bride Wars. 

Then you are expected to believe that two best friends (Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway) have grown up being totally obsessed about their future weddings to such an extent that they already have the whole thing planned out long before they are even old enough to date.

Add that to the fact that they then both get engaged in the same week, book the weddings on the same day (for different days), somehow end up with their weddings both happening on the same day, don't want to combine the weddings but do want to wage open warfare on each other simply because...

Um... 

Actually, there is no good reason there.

About two thirds of the way through they basically decide to just have their separate weddings on the same day because they are just that stubborn, yet they still persist in playing nasty pranks on each other to try and ruin the others wedding. 

In short, this film is about two insane people. 

Not funny "Ha Ha" insane, but "Back away slowly, don't make eye contact" insane. 

Either that or it is a shallow, hack film that knows it doesn't need to make any sense because... well, the brides fighting! 

Anne Hathaway, who is usually good at playing actual humans and gives a relatively sweet (but still crazy) performance here deserves better.

Kate Hudson, who now only seems to appear in these hate-filled films where relationships exist solely so those involved can betray each other for laughs, does not. 

The idea that a muso would be called "DJ Humble" did get a chuckle though.

2 out of 5

Bride Wars
Australian release: 15th January, 2009
Official Site: Bride Wars
Cast: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, Kristen Johnston, Bryan Greenberg
Director: Gary Winick