The Reel Review
A destination wedding at an island resort in the Philippines goes terribly wrong when pirates take the guests hostage just as the nervous bride and groom privately decide to call off the nuptials. Now the two must work together to save their loved ones and their relationship, in this screwball action/romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel.
Shotgun Wedding is the latest in a string of recent destination rom-coms after The Lost City and Ticket to Paradise – only it lacks the charm, onscreen chemistry and laughs of the former while managing to be just as disappointingly dimwitted as the latter. Director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, Sisters) at least keeps the action moving, although this slapped-together screenplay from Mark Hammer (Two Night Stand) has way too many tired, try-too-hard jokes that just fail to be funny.
On the flipside, Jennifer Coolidge does have a couple of funny, scene-stealing moments and Lopez and Duhamel at least look terrific, despite his character – a neurotic cheapskate – being a disappointing dud for most of the film. The rest of the mostly underutilized supporting cast includes Lenny Kravitz, Sonia Braga, Cheech Marin, and D’Arcy Carden (A League of Their Own).
REEL FACTS
• Josh Duhamel replaced Armie Hammer in the film after Hammer dropped out in 2021 due to a career-ruining sex scandal, which he is now addressing.
• Duhamel has now co-starred with both of Ben Affleck’s Jennifers – Lopez, whom Affleck married in 2022 and Afflick’s ex-wife Jennifer Garner – whom Duhamel worked with in 2018’s Love, Simon.
• Shotgun Wedding was filmed in the Dominican Republic.
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