It was fun to watch Julia Roberts trying to ruin somebody else's nuptials in 1997's "My Best Friend's Wedding," but this time around she doesn't have the clever, creative script or even a good reason to spoil a ceremony.
Pairing her with fellow Oscar-winner George Clooney was a smart move. Both have good comedy chops and a believable rapport as a couple simultaneously in love and hate. It could have been a riot to see them replicate the rapid-fire banter of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in "His Girl Friday."
Director Ol Parker, who co-wrote the script, simply can't replicate the energy or the wit of the previous films. The material and the pacing seem to be the result of using sedatives during the scripting and editing stages.
David and Georgia Cotton (Clooney and Roberts) both vividly remember their brief, turbulent marriage. Neither agrees on the details.
The only thing the two agree on is that their daughter Lily (Kaitlyn Deaver) is the only good thing that came from their union. Before starting a law career, Lily takes a vacation to Bali (actually Queensland, Australia) and meets a local farmer named Gede (Maxime Bouttier) who instantly becomes the love of her life. He's smart, handsome and conscientious.
Despite having known the man for a little over a month, a wedding in such a setting seems romantic and even a bit wise.
Don't tell that to David and Georgia, who awkwardly try to prevent a disastrous marriage like their own. The resulting struggle makes a typical Hallmark Channel offering seem unpredictable in comparison. Of course the two will rekindle old sparks even if Georgia is now seeing handsome, younger French pilot Paul (Lucas Bravo).
The attractive beaches and equally photogenic stars can't do much with the limp, sluggish material. Parker simply can't come up with enough gags or one-liners to fill the just over 90-minute running time. He also squanders the chance to capitalize on the comedic and dramatic potential of the setting. What if, for example, Gede's parents objected to him marrying an American? In "Ticket to Paradise," Bali only exists to be pretty. A little more respect for and curiosity about Balinese culture would have helped.
Parker is best known for helming "Mama Mia! Here We Go Again," but he can't replicate the musical finesse he demonstrated with the musical numbers there. Here he simply settles for having his stars dancing to 30-year-old hits without giving Roberts or Clooney anything interesting to do.
The outtakes that play through the closing credits indicate "Ticket to Paradise" was really fun to make. Little of that delight makes it into the final cut.