“My life’s become a *beep beep* romantic comedy! And it’s PG-13!”
Isn’t It Romantic tells the story of Natalie, who was brought up to despise the concept of romantic comedies, or any romantic movies. But while she refuses to buy into their sappy premise, she is transported to a magical-romantic world as a result of a concussion she suffered at the hands of a mugger. While in this imaginary world, she must now find the reason she was brought there, while slowly becoming the woman she’s meant to be. It’s hard to buy into any romantic comedies. This, I’m sure, is mostly due to romantic comedies’ heavy handed regard for their often unrealistic relationships, while also enveloping us in extreme cheesiness. I am not the go to romantic comedy person. Movies like Sweet Home Alabama, or The Runaway Bride, are just not my cup of tea. But even with all that, I do have a soft spot for certain rom-coms that truly entertain me. The sarcastic comments that are uttered about romantic comedies, or “rom-coms” in Isn’t It Romantic, are what some of us have uttered at least once in our lifetimes.
We all know those people, maybe you’re one of them. You know, the ones that have an absolute love for rom-coms. Isn’t that Romantic turns those feelings and completely exaggerates those themes that you find in your overblown romantic comedy. 
Now, I had every right to believe that this was just another movie to be pushed to the side, as I couldn’t see getting into the film. I personally don’t like Rebel Wilson’s comedic style. But as I watched this film, I was surprised at how funny this hating on rom-coms premise was. Wilson, who plays Natalie, as well as fellow cast members, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, and Priyanka Chopra all contribute to the movie’s funny moments. Yes, it is the predictable characters as in almost every rom-com, but in the end, it works.
The story is more or less a cohesive mix of everything that haters and non-haters of the romantic genre want to see. The film’s comedic timing can be a little lackluster at times, but when it lights up, it truly shines. The musical numbers in the film are my personal favorite. Those numbers are a wild festivity that you want to keep on going. The overall character interactions are funny to watch. The actors all had so much chemistry and really jelled together so well. Wilson’s character, especially, lends some hilarious one-liners that make this comedy entertaining to watch.
Isn’t It Romantic doesn’t end like your typical rom-com, but on the other hand it does. It takes an overused conclusion and elaborates on it, which makes for a better ending as far as I’m concerned. But even with its entertaining themes, Isn’t It Romantic does lend itself to the plots and cheesy dialogue that make it the typical romantic movie, and that, I cannot excuse. But what I can make an excuse for is that Isn’t It Romantic is, in some ways, more original than those cheesy stories we’ve seen for years. More importantly, it doesn’t try to be something that it isn’t. It knows the only purpose is for entertaining theater goers, and bringing them a film they can truly enjoy.
Isn’t It Romantic
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, and Adam Devine
Rating:
Little Movie Reviews 