License to Wed

The makers of License to Wed should have their license to make movies revoked immediately. This misguided comedy lacks any redeeming qualities, insults the viewer’s intelligence at every turn and may just be bad enough to cause divorce rates to skyrocket. Ben Murphy (John Kransinski) and Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore) are a happy couple who decide to get engaged. When they choose to get married at Sadie’s family church, Reverend Frank (Robin Williams) and his young toadie (Josh Flitter) require the young couple to take a marriage preparation course. Unfortunately, Reverend Frank’s program puts couples through a series of absurd and dangerous trials, including planting surveillance equipment in their bedroom, making them drive blindfolded through city streets and forcing them to baby-sit disgusting robotic babies. There is nothing clever about License to Wed and most of the sophomoric humour revolves around Robin Williams’ grating personality. Cameos by Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey and Mindy Kaling from Kransinski’s regular gig on NBC’s The Office may amuse fans of the TV show but only because of their presence, not by any actual comedy attempted. The DVD features contain only some deleted scenes, which were cut for a good reason, and a decidedly unfunny radio call-in skit featuring young Josh Flitter giving advice that is uncomfortably mature for his age. Stay away from License to Wed, unless of course your significant other is trying to push you into a marriage you aren’t ready for. If that’s the case, then buy yourself a copy and laugh uproariously throughout — nobody will be quick to wed a mate who finds this drivel humorous.