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| Available at Amazon.com |
It’s Spring, so that means it’s time for another “romantic wedding comedy”…
If there is one genre of film that can be defined by a specific formula, it’s the romantic comedy. In every single rom-com a man and a woman meet. They have various reasons why they are forced to be apart. But then great comedy follows before the man and the woman in the end end up together, against all odds, where they live happily ever after. A sub-genre of the romantic comedy is the wedding comedy, where all the comedy revolves around weddings, of course. Mix all of that together and you get a pretty predictable film. The latest entry in this genre is 27 Dresses.
27 Dresses is about a woman named Jane (Katherine Heigl), who has been a bridesmaid 27 times. Jane is heartbroken when her sister, Tess, (Malin Akerman) starts dating her boss, George (Edward Burns), who Jane has secretly pined for. While organizing their wedding, a cynical journalist named Kevin (James Marsden) shows interest in Jane’s wedding obsession.
What makes a good rom-com stand out above all others is the cast. If you have likable leading characters, you will want to see them together in the end. It’s also up to the actors involved in these films to take the standard script and make it better on the screen. This is Katherine Heigl’s second big-screen attempt at being a leading lady. Meanwhile, James Marsden is pretty much in the same position after usually playing the guy on the wrong side of the love triangle. Their chemistry together here, though, is believable. The other actors involved all do a fine job in their roles as well, which is always a good thing.
The story is pretty generic and unoriginal here. They try to throw in some twists and turns to make it less predictable, but it really doesn’t fool anyone. We know exactly how this story will end. Despite that there is some good dialogue written for these characters, but most of the things they do on screen is nothing you haven’t seen before in countless other “romantic wedding comedies”.
It’s hard not to want to see Katherine Heigl and James Marsden together in the end of 27 Dresses. That immediately makes this film worth watching for any romantic comedy fan. There aren’t many surprises here, but you will be entertained. It may not be the best entry in this time-tested genre, but it is a worthy addition that is slightly above average.
The video is presented in 1080p/VC-1 at the 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen color ratio, which is enhanced for 16:9 TVs of course. The transfer is good for the most part. The colors are not as bright as they could have been, but it’s definitely not unwatchable.
The audio included is available in either English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround sound or French 2.0 Surround sound. There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean as well. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear. But like the video, the audio won’t blow you away or anything.
“The Wedding Party” Featurette –
This runs 15 minutes and it’s your standard “making-of” featurette. There are interviews with Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Judy Greer, Edward Burns, the director Anne Fletcher, and the rest of the main crew. They all try to hype up the movie as should be expected. There’s also lots of plot recap and film clips. So it’s almost like an extended commercial for the movie.
“You’ll Never Wear That Again” Featurette –
This runs 7 minutes and it features the costume designer, Catherine Marie Thomas, for the movie. She came up with all 27 of the dresses that Katherine Heigl had to wear at some point during the film.
“Jane’s World” Featurette –
This runs 5 minutes and it’s all about the film’s production design. We see how they turned Rhode Island into a believable New York City. It’s short, but it’s interesting.
“The Running of the Brides” Featurette –
This runs 5 minutes and it’s a weird look at an annual event from the retail chain Filene’s Basement. Every year they put tons of wedding dresses on the racks at huge discounts. Women then run in and try to grab the best dresses at the lowest prices. Entertaining to say the least.
Deleted Scenes –
There are 4 minutes worth of scenes that didn’t make the final cut of the movie. There are 3 scenes in total and they all feature Katherine Heigl in a comedic situation. They are somewhat funny, but don’t add a whole to the movie.
27 Dresses is nothing you haven’t seen before. But the chemistry between the lead actors on screen elevates the movie from being just another below average romantic comedy. Fans of Katherine Heigl and James Marsden will surely enjoy this and may even want to consider buying it. But I can only recommend a rental for everyone else.
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20th Century Fox Home Entertainment presents 27 Dresses [Blu-ray]. Directed by Anne Fletcher. Starring Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Judy Greer, and Edward Burns. Written by Aline Brosh McKenna. Running time: 111 minutes. Rated PG-13.
Released on DVD: April 29, 2008.Available at Amazon.com
About Josh Clinton
