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The romantic comedy genre has a successful formula that most filmmakers prefer to stick to: Boy meets Girl, Boy loses Girl, Boy gets Girl again. One can't argue with sticking to a proven formula, but Good Luck Chuck borrows so shamefully from other romantic comedies that it's unoriginal tendencies work against everything it has going for it.
It begins well with a flashback to 1985, as 10-year old Charlie Logan spins the bottle during a party in a suburban basement rec room. Charlie becomes alarmed when the bottle chooses the class Goth chick. When Charlie is frightened by her amorous advances, the girl places a curse on him: all women will leave him to find true love with another. Romantic Comedy Cliché #1: the hexed protagonist.
Charlie grows up to be a successful big city dentist (Dane Cook) afflicted with Peter Pan syndrome. Unable to commit to anyone, somehow word gets around that all of his ex-girlfriends have found love with the next man to ask them out. This kind of rumor can be bad for a guy's reputation, but his 'magic curse' actually has the opposite effect, as lonely and desperate (and stupid) women seek him out for brief sexual flings so that they'll meet Mr. Right immediately after. Cue Romantic Comedy Cliché #2: protagonist greeted by waiting room full of attractive women.
It may all be just the power of suggestion, but eventually Charlie starts believing in the curse himself, even convincing himself that taking advantage of all these women is doing them a service. He even sleeps with women he's not attracted to because he wants to help them (Romantic Comedy Cliché #3: sex with the obese).
Conflict arises as we're introduced to the comedy's gooey romantic center. While attending an ex-girlfriend's wedding, Charlie meets his dream girl Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba), which poses a problem – how does he overcome the curse to be with the girl he really loves? By the way, Cam combines two Romantic Comedy Clichés: the klutzy beauty and the protagonist whose job is caring for zoo animals.
The leads, Dane Cook and Jessica Alba, are both currently suffering from a bit of career backlash. Both were being talked about in glowing terms a few years ago, described as promising newcomers with great potential. But gossip magazine overexposure – or an arrogant tone flaunted in interviews – have put a strain on their popularity. For whatever reason, they both could use a hit, but expectations are low. Surprisingly, both are very funny here and there in Good Luck Chuck - Alba even more so than former stand-up comic Cook – which makes me want to cheer them on. But enthusiasm ebbs as one begins to notice that though these two actors are scoring laughs, they fail to connect as a believable couple. The chemistry just isn't there, and they leave the impression that they're thinking about themselves when they're kissing someone else.
To be fair, the actors are undermined so often by creaky old plot ideas – even including the old "rush to the airport" routine – that you almost feel sorry for them.
Good Luck Chuck manages to put a slight twist on some of its clichés. The protagonist's horny best friend is not a gynecologist, but a plastic surgeon specializing in breast enhancement – Dan Fogler is much funnier here than in the lead in Balls of Fury, but a lot of his material is in poor taste. The role of female protagonist's best friend is not filled by a mincing gay character here, but by another cliché: her brother, the guy who smokes a lot of dope (Lonny Ross).
Comedy by definition is weighed on its ability to make an audience laugh. This one has so many good gags, overcoming so much the piece has going against it, that it's depressing to see the show sabotaged by a lack of creativity in the plot department.
This movie begins playing at these theaters Sept. 21:
Kerasotes Niles ShowPlace 12 301 Golf Mill Center, Niles, IL 60714
AMC Loews Gardens 7/13 175 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, IL 60077
