Review of 27 Dresses (2008) by Timothy S — 07 Nov 2011

Unfortunately, "27 Dresses" is a pretty obvious attempt to turn fresh-faced new star Katherine Heigl into the next Kate Hudson. The world definitely does not need another "queen of romantic comedies", and someone with as much charm and smarts as Heigl should learn earl on to steer clear of weak material such as this. She could be a huge talent in the making, and she's the only actor to escape form this debacle unscathed.

I suppose there's a way this premise could have worked, but the screenwriters take a wrong turn at nearly every corner. Pretty much every character in this "romantic" film is exceedingly unpleasant and there's so little dramatic tension here that it's not even satisfying when they get their comeuppance.

This film is just too lightweight, and Heigl's shoulders aren't broad enough to carry this herself. Malin Ackerman is completely unlikable as her sister, and James Marsden is a wash as her boss and love interest. He's so bland that we fail to see what she sees in him other than a pretty face. None of the romance works at all here because all of the characters deserve to be alone. If any one genre needs a desperate shot in the arm, it's the romantic comedy, but sadly enough, "27 Dresses" is just as stale as other recent entries. It seems like every one is just a slight variation of all of the other ones, and this is certainly no exception. Heigl deserves better than this.