“License to Wed” isn’t so much about matrimony as mediocrity.
The senseless Robin Williams farce — replete with humor at the expense of the obese, the elderly and the devout — disguises itself as a young adult-friendly romantic comedy. But it’s really just cut-rate, throw away, big-screen waste with the inexplicably overused Mandy Moore annoying us yet again as the ingenue. Too boring and irrelevant to be condemned as truly bad, this movie’s high concept supposes the existence of a sadistic and yet somehow still well-intentioned premarital religious counselor from hell.
Under-directed by Ken Kwapis and carelessly written by Kim Barker and Tim Rasmussen, the story imagines Williams as the intrusive Reverend Frank, a cleric of unspecified Christian denomination. In a stretch of logic so twisted and impossible it could only come from Hollywood, this man of God acts like the devil. He doesn’t just force class participation; he also has illegal bugging devices installed to eavesdrop, thwarts all sexual contact, intentionally provokes nasty arguments, plants evil robot babies for “practice,” uses church availability as blackmail and otherwise torments couples who come to him to perform their wedding ceremonies.
Aided by his choir boy henchman (Josh Flitter), Rev. Frank sabotages couples in a supposed effort to forceopen lines of communication and somehow strengthen their bond. But for the faithful Sadie Jones (Moore) and her hapless and annoyed fiance Ben (“The Office’s” John Krasinski), Frank’s manipulations threaten what they thought was already a happy relationship.
A script dependant on lazy sight gag set ups and William’s antic reputation isn’t helped much by the presence of the featured lovebirds cast here. Moore is talentless milquetoast as always, while Krasinski proves not attractive enough, funny enough nor memorable enough to merit his promotion from television to the multiplex.
They contribute to a “License” in need of revoking.
‘License to Wed’
2/5 stars
Starring: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski
Director: Ken Kwapis
Rated PG-13
