Review of The Five-Year Engagement (2012) by Matt A — 19 Jan 2013

"I do" promise that my movie review for "The Five-Year Engagement" will not take as long as the movie title. But then again, don't expect a quick elope either. Whatever that means! "The Five-Year Engagement" is a semi-engaging romantic comedy starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as lovers Tom Solomon and Violet Barnes. Our fiancée protagonists are engaged to be married; but due to career decisions and relocations, their engagement is elongated to (yea, you got it) for 5 friggin years. And that is pretty much the premise of "The Five-Year Engagement", which for some reason Director Nicholas Stoller kept on Stoller-stalling the movie with irrelevant plot points which not only stretched out the engagement, but the movie itself. There was no need for this movie to last 124 minutes. Now, I do have to get down on my knee and pay respect that Stoller and Segel did incorporate some comedic moments within the screenplay of "The Five-Year Engagement"; but not enough to give it my blessing. Also, there were way too many characters in this movie, it had a case of the OPS (overstuffed people syndrome). Segel and Blunt were adequate within their starring performances, but they should not be married with the thought that it's their best work. The rest of the performances of the movie did not stand out enough for me to give it a toast, or a mention. I will not give a promise ring to "The Five-Year Engagement" as one of the best romantic comedies of the year, but then again I will not break this cinematic engagement altogether. In other words, this movie has some good and some bad; as most marriages are.

*** Average.