Let me start by saying Isn’t It Romantic is pretty harmlessly fun. Rebel Wilson’s send up of the 1990s romcom has some really fun parts and even a few surprises. That being said, the movie is going for The Princess Bride, and falls somewhere closer to A Scary Movie for a romantic comedy. At this point a sad Celine Dion song should start playing.
Natalie (Rebel Wilson) has been raised to consider movies like Pretty Woman not only a giant lie for women, but a setback in their quest for equality. The world has reinforced this message to Natalie over and over again: she works as an architect, but everyone takes advantage of her, even her assistant Whitney (Betty Gilpin). Her work friend Josh (Adam Devine) is supportive, but the minute Natalie gets the courage to open up to a guy on the subway, he tries to rob her. Natalie escapses the accosting, but hits her head, transporting her into one of those dreaded 90s romcoms she hates, where the attractive client at work, Blake (Liam Hemsworth) is openly into her, and Josh sparks up a relationship with a yoga ambassador/supermodel Isabella (Priyanka Chopra).
Let’s hold off with Rebel Wilson for a hot second, and start with 2 other people: Brandon Scott Jones and Liam Hemsworth. Jones plays the stereotypical gay best friend Donny with a reckless abandon not seen since those over the top early 90s versions of gay people. Jones delivers the explicit entendres with aplomb, and does a great job sauntering into frame, especially when Natalie needs a friend to talk to, even if there’s no reason for Donny to be near Natalie at that moment. But Donny’s just an appetizer. Liam Hemsworth will be the main course for most of the ladies going to see this movie, but he’s more that just majestic eye candy. Liam looks like he’s taken a page out of his brother’s handbook. He gives Blake this doofusy charm that’s impossible not to love, confidently saying all these famous phrases from philosophers, or simply using the word beguiling in funny ways. Isn’t It Romantic at least will mark a turning point in Liam Hemsworth’s career, where he starts taking more roles that his brother or Channing Tatum might consider.
It’s important to note that Liam Hemsworth and Brandon Scott Jones are in approximately 20 minutes of Isn’t It Romantic. The rest of the movie resembles a film that thinks its so smart it has to explain everything to the audience. Every reference. Every confusing character change. Every plot twist. The movie doesn’t trust that the audience will get ANYTHING so Rebel Wilson, instead of taking charge of her story, spends most of it telling everyone what’s going on, instead of using her understanding of these films to get out ahead of the story and use it to her advantage. In addition, not all of the jokes pay off, like poor Betty Gilpin and Priyanka Chopra, who get saddled with plotlines that go nowhere and are one joke devices, given no character development whatsoever. In general, it’s pretty crappy that Isn’t It Romantic gives more agency to all the men in the movie than any female character until the very end of the movie, around which the movie exists.
As a Galentine’s night out, Isn’t It Romantic will be fun enough. Liam Hemsworth delivers the shirtless goods, and the soundtrack jams with adorable pop songs that will draw you to your 90s night at your favorite dancing bar. Who knows? Maybe one of you ladies will meet a gorgeous hunk who will sweep you off your feet….until you realize it was your best friend all along! NO WAY!!!!