Review of Bridesmaids (2011) by Jim L — 30 Jun 2013

(8/10).

When the trailers were coming around for Bridesmaids, I thought it looked absolutely horrendous. The reviews started to come in and they were overwhelmingly positive so I was a bit shocked to say the least but I still went in with low expectations. Much to my surprise, this movie turned out to be one of the funniest movies in 2011 and barely missed having a spot in my top 20 of 2011 list (I think it came in at number 21 or 22). This is easily one of the funniest comedies in recent memory and it doesn't resort to cheap sentimentality at the end which was a pleasant surprise.

The film has 2 major flaws that prevent it from being truly great comedy: It is extremely predictable and it is way too long. Comedies in general (especially comedies like this) should top out at around 100 minutes (an hour and 40 minutes). Maybe 110 minutes if required. This movie goes on for a full 130 minutes, which is certainly way too long for a comedy, no matter how funny the movie may be. This is my one major gripe with this movie and this alone prevents it from being an instant classic (barely).

That being said, the movie is absolutely hysterical and every single person in the film works fabulously with one another to keep most of the jokes hitting. Kristen Wiig is terrific in the lead role as a down-on-her-luck type woman with the perfect amount of charm and likability. The supporting cast is perhaps even better than Kristen Wiig. The supporting cast includes Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne and many others. Of course, I can't talk about the supporting cast without mentioning Melissa McCarthy. The most gut-busting moments of the film are when she is present and she establishes herself as a comedic force to be reckoned with in an Academy Award nominated performance.

Overall, this movie is way too long and it's a bit predictable, but it'll make you laugh so much that you'll forgive most of its flaws. Bridesmaids is a very good example of how to make a good chick flick that has a lot of emotional depth, gut-busting laughter and likable characters. This is one of the funniest comedies in recent memory and I highly recommend it.