I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

Review by Tosia Morris

So along I went to a 'Mums and Bub's' session - cinema sessions set aside for mothers and their screaming babies - to see what should've been an entertaining no-brainer.

Maybe it was my daughter playing up half-way through the movie; maybe it was the smell of full diapers around me - or maybe Judd Apatow is the only guy that can write a good comedy these days, but for some reason, the switched-off brain hurt by film's end.

Most famous for it’s fart jokes and Rob Schneider cameos, Happy Madison Productions returns to cinemas (ever so briefly, I’m guessing) with I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry - a story about two Brooklyn Fire Fighters, who not only are best friends but also become husband and husband to reap security benefits (One of them has to fall in love with lawyer Jessica Biel though...don’t they?).

Hmmm. Didn’t I see that somewhere else?

And… do I remember laughing more the first-time around?

It’d be easy to say Chuck and Larry is a waste of time because it’s a direct clone of the little-seen Aussie comedy Strange Bedfellows but truth of the matter is, near everything is a remake of something these days, so that’d just be too easy a blame factor. Fact of the matter is, the film (rip off of an Aussie film or not) isn’t much chop. Whatever way you look at it.

Here we are again with a film full of stereotypes – isn’t it time we stopped laughing at ridiculous gay jabs? It ain’t funny anymore.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry brings nothing new to the screen, other than the amusing celebrant that marries the two men, and his sermon about how love is like a circle. And though it has a good supporting cast, none of them have much to do – Jessica Biel is all boobs, Dan Aykroyd had very little to do in it as their Fire Chief that can see through the charade of a marriage, and though fantastic as James’ gay brother, Nick Swardson’s (I love this guy, he played the guy too scared to step into the sun in The Benchwarmers) performance would’ve been better saved for another comedy. Oh, and no, Rob Schneider doesn’t make an appearance this time around (must’ve read the script).

The only inspired moment of this gay sundae may be a newly outed Lance Bass performing at a homosexual union.

Not much of a commendation, is it?

2 out of 5

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Australian release: 16th August, 2007
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd
Director: Dennis Dugan
Website: Click here.