User reviews

Martin Scorsese once famously said he does one movie for the studio and one for himself, and so do many other directors or actors (George Clooney admits he did Ocean's Thirteen because that way he could do Michael Clayton next). Although Anne Hathaway hasn't explicitly said she does that, one can assume it's the only rational explanation for a piece of anti-cinematic trash like Bride Wars. Shooting The Devil Wears Prada after Brokeback Mountain is one thing, tainting your Oscar-nominated legacy with this bunch of nonsense is another.

And yet it sounded like it could be a lot of fun, at least judging by the premise, which reverses the classic wedding stereotype: women are in it for the romance, guys are game because it's fun (that's what they make it look like in American comedies, anyway). This time around, the dudes are in it for the love, and the girls want to get married just to make a childhood dream come true. Apparently, if you're a woman and live in Manhattan, the ultimate dream of your life is to get married at the Plaza in June, so when best friends Liv (Kate Hudson with a Paris Hilton/Britney Spears haircut) and Emma (Hathaway) get asked the fundamental question by their beaus, they immediately try to book the right place and date. A mix-up occurs, and so they're both stuck with the same date, June 6th. Neither wants to postpone what's supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, therefore a full-on war is declared on both parts.

At this point, the real silliness kicks in: diet sabotage, tans gone awry and the occasional witty remark, like "Your wedding's gonna be huge, just like your ass at prom". What started as a potentially entertaining critique of materialism and shallowness is revealed to be a poorly executed farce, with a succession of lame jokes instead of a plot (then again, one of the screenwriters is best known for performing on Saturday Night Live, where the skits have no connection whatsoever, so that may be an explanation) and two atrocious caricatures instead of leading ladies.

In fairness, no one ever expected any true brilliance from Hudson, given the last really good movie she appeared in was Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous in 2000, but surely someone could have told Hathaway you just don't choose something this bland after working with Jonathan Demme (or Ang Lee, for that matter). Maybe she wanted to return to her comedic roots, but sadly there's nothing even remotely funny in Bride Wars, save for a few brief scenes featuring the reliable Candice Bergen. Everything else is just like Liv and Emma: obsessed with getting everything right, but ultimately too self-centered to get any sympathy from others.

Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) are two life-long best friends who've dreamed of a June wedding at the Plaza since they were kids. Well, it looks like their dream is finally coming true as their boyfriends have popped the question and now all that's left to do is book the venue. But, unfortunately, due to a mistake the venue made, they've booked their weddings on the same day and the next opening isn't until June 15th... 3 years from now. When they both refuse to move their wedding, it turns to "war".

But, that's just it, the only "war" was in the trailer (the bronze tan, the blue hair, etc.) and the movie overall was rather average. I went in with an open mind and low expectations and still came out disappointed. The first hour is OK, but the last half takes a completely different turn. The jokes stop and it becomes more serious; focusing on the two girls' relationship more than anything else.

The movie appeals mostly to teen girls, so if you're anyone else, this isn't really worth the admission price. And if you still want to see it, it's a rental at best. The trailer showed mostly everything anyway and it's pretty easy to guess how it ends.

I believe this is what truly defines a 'girly' movie... It obviously about brides and whatever stuff they love and need, and from what I can figure most of the women (including the 4 women that dragged me there) in the theater enjoyed it.

I do agree it is an original idea and does give esp the males out there the sheer intensity of how important this occasion is for women, and also to a certain extent why women may make good friends but the worst of enemies.

Overall I give it a 6 on 10 due to a lot of predictability and clichés but I did like the chemistry of the 2 leads stars, the others characters seemed rather bland in fact entirely devoid of personality.

Perhaps the only scene for men to enjoy is the bachelorette party - you 'll see - ;) Hathaway looks smokin' hot.

The romantic comedy is a type of film that relies on two obvious traits; the ability to make its audience laugh, and the ability to make that very same audience tear-up or at least feel some degree of warmth towards the central characters' love story. Bride Wars, which ostensibly at least, takes the form of your typical rom-com is an example of such that constantly tries to do the former -while constantly failing-, and only hints at the latter only in the background in order to advance plot. The result from this is a middling and sluggishly mundane feature that neither offers memorable characters or even a few cheap laughs. To be fair, there has to be something said for the fact that I am not exactly within the movie's target demographic. Yet judging by the reactions of those around me, I got the feeling that what I was experiencing wasn't exactly gender exclusive.

The story here, which revolves around two best gal-pals Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) as they try to cope with their simultaneous weddings, is one that is likely to get a few chuckles from females, but less so with their male counterparts. Yes, this is somewhat expectant of a movie titled Bride Wars, but then again, if half of your audience are neglected to the sidelines then you're needlessly cutting yourself short. This stunted, polarising depiction of "every girl's biggest day" feels fitting to its source material, so women will enjoy this moreso than men, but not by much. You see, aside from the fact that Bride Wars wants nothing more than to cater to cheap gags and sappy melodrama fit to please the Legally Blonde crowd, there also remains blatant problems in just about everything else that fills the movie's first two acts. With little romance to back up the meagre plot, dull, dry characterisation coupled with non-existent chemistry between either the friends and their partners, or even themselves, the vast majority of Bride Wars turns ugly, rather quickly; the movie pushes that this cat fight between Hudson and Hathaway is meant to be fun and airy with plenty of laughs, but it's too transparent and formulated to even move beyond dry caricature.

It doesn't help at all that the majority of the performances from the main cast are border line negligible. Hudson and Hathaway, who are supposed to playing long-time best buddies who suddenly fall out over a petty dispute, are strangely forgettable, if not repelling. In all fairness, both hit the proverbial hammer on the head with their portrayals as stock-pile, cardboard cut-out typecasts befitting of the genre and only the genre, but this isn't exactly saying much. The remainder of the cast, who each have around ten minutes tops of total screen time are just as unremarkable, with Kristen Johnston giving the movie its only real favour and edge. So, what's worse than a romantic comedy with next to no compelling or memorable performances? Not much.

To be fair however, Bride Wars isn't really a romance at all. At least, that's what I hope director Gary Winick was trying to put across (somehow I get the feeling that I'm giving too much benefit of the doubt). If anything, the movie exists more as a mildly poignant example of companionship in the form of friends rather than romance. This tangent, which takes full form in the third act, for the most part surpasses the drudgery that comes beforehand, and establishes a touching, if slightly overly done sentimental climax. By all means, it's far too little, all too late, but I at least found myself moved by the movie's final statement, even if it was by means of extreme contrast. Yet had Winick went with this theme for the majority of his film, rather than save it for after all the silly, perfunctory cat fight scenes that in turn just about destroy all human shades within his characters, Bride Wars could have been a much more flowing, and relevant feature. Instead it exists simply as throwaway popcorn fodder for girls on a night out who have nothing better to do than to revisit the same old characters, wacky situations and sit-com dialogue typical of your average Will & Grace episode.

• A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)

Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson are in the "Bride Wars" in this 2009 comedy about two best friends who, due to a scheduling mistake, end up with the same date for their wedding. They agree one has to give up the date; but each finds out from someone else that the other is doing save the date cards or something, and they turn on one another. It becomes a goal for each woman to destroy the other's wedding.

This film is really for young girls, or so it seemed to me. It's funny in a silly kind of way. I frankly thought Hudson seemed older than Hathaway (she is, but only by three years).

Candace Bergen plays a popular wedding planner, and it's always great to see her. Loved seeing the locations around Central Park and the Plaza.

Okay.

When Bride Wars first came out, the critic Mark Kermode was so confident that it would be on his Top 10 worst movies of 2009 that he declared he would give up movie reviewing if it wasn't (it was). Having now seen it myself, I see exactly where he was coming from. This is a horrible, horrible movie. There is nothing at all good about it.

The plot is totally nonsensical. Two best friends getting their weddings booked on the same day, and immediately turning on each other with pranks and sabotage efforts? How does that sound like a good movie concept?

But many things combine to ensure that nothing can be salvaged from this awful premise. It's no good as a comedy: none of the jokes are funny. The acting is as bland as it gets. And the characters themselves are wholly unlikeable: they are just selfish, two-dimensional people who have skewed priorities and are never properly called on it, and it is impossible to understand just why they're being so horrible to each other.

Regardless of your gender, do not watch this movie.

Anne Hathaway rules the screens this month in Singapore, with three movies hitting the screens - Rachel Getting Married, Passengers, and now teaming up with Kate Hudson for my second wedding theme movie of the day, Bride Wars. Alas this film by director Gary Winick had the trailer to thank for in letting every cat out of the bag that there's little surprise left when the girls have a go at each other.

Liv (Hudson) and Emma (Hathaway) are best friends since young, where they were subconsciously programmed that they must be each other's maid of honour, as well as to have their weddings at New York's swanky The Plaza in June. Fast forward to today, and they are on the cusp of their engagements, which of course meant that they do get to finally turn their long held dreams into reality. From being girly about attending each other's events to engaging one of the finest wedding planners ever, Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen), little do they know a small administrative screw up will threaten their very friendship.

One wonders if girls can indeed be so petty over such little details. You see, the entire plot hinges on this very fine condition that the two girls hold onto, and that is to be each other's maid of honour. Which doesn't make sense because they can each have their wedding on the same day and at the same venue (different ballrooms of course), but because of their insistence to be present at their best friend's wedding, they fall out, insult each other, and declare war.

So only if you buy that wee bit of irrationality (OK, so some claim that the opposite sex can get unreasonable from time to time...) do you buy into the entire bickering, where they go one up against the other, sabotaging plans to be at their best come their wedding day. It also helps that the demeanour of the girls are on opposite sides of the spectrum, with Liv being the alpha-female go-getter who doesn't take no for an answer, and Emma the good natured sweetheart. Of course the series of back-biting do change their characters both for the worse and for the better. Best friends can become your worst enemies since they know every dirty little secret you had confided in them before, and can exploit your very weakness to gain an advantage, so one can find it easy to identify with the predicament of both sides.

Those who suffer will nonetheless be the common friends, who have to sit on the fence and not take sides. The trailer has spelt out the storyline and laid out the best jokes on the table, so unless you're really hard up for jokes that you know the punchline to, this may be just an average chick flick. Having it rated PG (instead of the original NC-16) also meant that some of the more coarse dialogue in Marion St. Claire's meeting with the girls, get chopped off quite abruptly.

This movie has some good actors and actresses. But the characters are a little bit stupid and the story is meaningless. However, i didn't get bored while watching it. I think it worth a try.

Two best friends. Both living with their boyfriends, both waiting for them to pop -the- question they live their daily life. When one day they both end up proposed to the planning starts for two perfect weddings. Little do they know that human frailty is against them - and what starts as the perfect adventure soon turns into the most horrible nightmare imaginable. From there what once was the best possible friendship slowly turns into a terrible war.

A meager story at best, the above is the backing line of this film. It could have been enough if it had been worked out some better, but quite sadly this comedy fails to be funny and that is IMO one of the prime requisites of a comedy - making the audience laugh out loud a good number of times and keep them amused until after the ending credits.

This film fails to be funny. The two main characters and their actions are not entirely badly chosen - but the way they are acted out are just too much of a cliché or too clearly acted. There's also too little moments that could have worked out - there's far too many soft spots where the film just rolls on without anything happening.

The most positive effect of the film was the side role played by Kristen Johnson who turns every scene she appears in into a short lasting hilarious feast. It isn't enough to save the film though - it's still a piece of rubbish.

2 out of 10 bridal tragedies wasted

This is not a bad film, but it falls far short of its potential, given its two talented stars (Anne Hathaway as Emma, and Kate Hudson as Liv) who portray best friends who grow up sharing a dream of the perfect wedding.

When it comes time for their big days, a wedding planner makes a scheduling mistake, and they find themselves adversaries. Though they still love each other, their desire to realize their dreams overpowers their affection. What follows is a battle of "tit for tat".

The story is rather formulaic. And there are no surprises. And opportunities were missed that might have resulted in more entertainment. For example, in one scene, Anne Hathaway dances, but Kate Hudson just sits and watches her, despite the fact that Hudson can dance and it would have made more sense if the Liv character had done just that.

Also, since Hudson and Hathaway are both accomplished singers, one can imagine a scene that would involve singing, say a karaoke competition.

I have no problem with romantic comedies and chick-flicks when they are done right. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like Bride Wars, apart from some striking filming and a beguiling soundtrack, it doesn't work.

What was it that didn't work? The story was one definite flaw, it was very uninteresting and predictable. The characters are shallow and despite a talented cast I felt indifferent to every character that came across the screens. I also didn't like how some of the characters are treated, not that it was sexist or anything like that, but Bride Wars when it comes to the writing pretty much shrugs its characters off as though they are just little ornaments, well no characters in movies are quite important. The pace starts off well, but slackens quickly so the romantic elements especially are filled with tedium.

Which brings me to the writing. In my opinion, Bride Wars' biggest failing. It aims to be funny and romantic, it succeeds at neither sadly. The comedy elements are mean-spirited and unfunny and the romantic elements are frothy and slushy. The direction in my view is rather slack, and I didn't think much of the acting. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are lovely women and both try their best with poorly developed characters but when it comes to the chemistry it never catches fire, and in more ways than one I blame the script and direction for that. The supporting cast range from so-so to pretty poor.

Overall, had potential and I wanted to like it, but because it was so badly written I couldn't even enjoy it. 2/10 Bethany Cox

Honestly, how many angry bride movies can Hollywood come out with? I thought 27 Dresses had a pretty good plot, even though it was way way way predictable, the characters were likable and different. There were no strip club bachelor/bachelorette parties, no fights that left you hating both of the women in the movie, and some pretty good acting. However,in Bride Wars, Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway have reached a low point in their career, dreadfully overacting and dramatizing every little detail to the point of me losing interest. The three male leads were decent, but for the most part, left a lot to be desired. Their characters were somewhat shallow, possibly due to a predictable and weak screenplay and script. This reminded me too much of all the bride movies and over-hyped chick flicks of the past. When will Hollywood come out with another Notebook romance?

This is easily in the bottom 20 movies of all time for me. I was a captive audience member and would not have chosen it myself. I expected a lighthearted romantic comedy, which I can tolerate although that's not my favorite genre.

For starters, who in the world is the target demographic for this disaster? I would guess it's tweener girls, but I wouldn't want my daughters to see women acting petty and selfish. The two lead characters are awful people acting in cruel ways. I sort of like dark comedies, but this didn't play as a dark comedy, either.

The premise is horrible. The writing doesn't take it anywhere. The acting even wasn't all that great. There was nothing special about the direction.

This is a real dog. As I yelled to the groom in the movie, "Run away. Just run away!"

The movie tells a story of two childhood friends who had a dream of a perfect wedding ceremony in a Plaza Hotel. When the girls are already young and beautiful women and the day comes that they are both engaged, they start to plan their perfect wedding in Plaza. Thereby the are confronted with different problems and even try to ruin each others wedding.

"Bride Wars" doesn't really stand for movies I usually watch. Although I wanted to watch it, mainly because of Anne Hathaway. I was told she is a good actress and is playing quite good in that movie. Well I can partly agree with that. Her performance in "Bride Wars" was surely satisfactory, however I believe her role was not really challenging. For the rest, I have to confess that the story of the movie is quite poor. It is obvious that the idea of the movie is to show us how two childhood friends deal with their friendship when their most desired dream seems to come true. However this appears unrealistic in the movie. Two best friends who know each other for over twenty years wouldn't try to spoil each others lives. "Bride Wars" appears also not that funny as it probably should be. The jokes are even a bit dumb and absolutely not funny.

Summing up I think that "Bride Wars" is a motion picture made more for girls who also have bright thoughts about their wedding.

Honestly I don't get why some people hate on this movie. I watched it when it came out and I've loved it ever since! It's so fun and cute! I mean they're best friends! Plus Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are babes so that's great. I mean it's cheesy but what would you expect? Go watch it and form your own opinion instead of just reading reviews because most of the time I love the shows and movies that get bad reputations.

Well, yes this movie foremost is a real chick-flick but for a movie within its genre it's simply not bad. It's a movie that serves its purpose and is simply good and enjoyable for the right audience.

Of course the movie is pretty simplistic with its story and all but this is fitting for the genre. Also the fact that everything is so terribly predictable of course also suits the movie just fine. As far as genre movies like this go; there are far worse movies to watch out there.

It's a movie that relies mostly on its main concept and sticks to it right till the end. The concept is simple but enjoyable when two best friends through an administrative mistake are getting married on the same day. They start to battle each other when they each want to perfect wedding day for themselves. It provides the movie with a couple of nice- and comical moments.

All in all the movie is quite enjoyable to watch, perhaps thanks to the very same fact that the movie is being so simplistic and predictable.

6/10

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