Sean Parker
So, I’m a little late to the reception on Bride Hard, Rebel Wilson’s new action comedy, completing an informal trilogy of wedding-themed films for the Australian Actress, after Bridesmaids and Bachelorette. However, arriving late to the party meant I was able to take in some of the chaos swirling around the film online. Letterboxd is rating the film with an overall average of about two stars, while Metacritic has it at a cringey twenty-three percent, and Rotten Tomatoes at thirteen (at the time of writing). But I didn’t see what a lot of those critics saw, and honestly, don’t understand a lot of the full-on hatred Bride Hard is receiving.
First, let’s talk about what a moviegoer is getting into here. Director Simon West, the guy who brought us Con Air, Tomb Raider (2001), and The Expendables 2, is at the helm of what is essentially Die Hard at a wedding. Wilson plays Sam, a workaholic secret agent, and also Anna Camp’s Betsy’s maid of honor. After changing the bachelorette party plans so she can fulfill a mission, Sam is pushed out of the maid of honor role for ditching the party, replaced by Betsy’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, Virginia (Anna Chulmsky). Virginia, trying to control every aspect of Betsy’s wedding, helps to push Sam further out of Betsy’s inner circle, causing a bigger rift between Betsy and Sam. Sam gets back at Virginia in a multitude of ways throughout the film catching the eye of the best man (Justin Hartley) in the process.
The gap between Betsy and Sam continues to grow as an argument causes Sam to walk out during the ceremony. However, that’s exactly the moment when a mercenary (Stephen Dorff) and his men arrive on the island to rob Betsy’s new family’s fortune. Well, Sam isn’t about to let Betsy or anyone else get hurt, and employs her covert ops training to take out the weddingnappers systematically, leading to silly deaths, the occasional eye-rolling pun, and a general bit of girls’ night fun. Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Gigi Zumbado add a little extra comic relief as well.
Now, don’t expect West’s film to be a full-fledged Die Hard movie, but as an extravagant parody, the film works with significant effect. The opening scene exhibits some unusual pacing, which makes it feel slightly off. I can’t tell whether an enormous bit of editing has taken place or not, but there’s something strange about the opening scene. Still, Bride Hard pivots rather well once Sam meets Betsy and the bridesmaids at the wedding. Unlike many of the other reviews I have read, I was laughing throughout the movie. Then again, I do have two older sisters who would force-feed our VCR My Best Friend’s Wedding over and over from the time it was released until they left our childhood home. Aspects of Bride Hard had a similar feeling.
As a lampoon on the wedding genre, Bride Hard is refreshingly funny. As I’ve already stated Wilson is a staple of those films, cementing it here with a third, and featured in rom-coms like Juliet and Romeo and Isn’t it Romantic, making it a nice way to poke fun at her own career by wanting to trade the romance to say, “Ho-ho-ho, now I’ve got a machine gun” for once. Liam Neeson is primed to do the same thing as his action career collides with the irreverence of Police Squad in The Naked Gun remake.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of rough edges in the film that may take a stretching of the imagination to get past, from Wilson trying to be stealthy while wearing a bright red dress to some extenuatingly contrived plot points. However, that’s pretty much the idea. Die Hard has some of its own problems (the dead guy that comes back at the end?), as do some of these wedding movies, and yet we all seem to see past those things to fall in love and watch these movies again and again. That means you really sort of need to go over the top in order to make the film work.
West does seem a little heavier-handed on the action beats, which may be why some are having trouble seeing the film’s playfulness, but there are some side-splitting moments. Anna Chlumsky’s dance scene had me in stitches, and it is currently living rent-free in my head. But, even a plotline about Zoe’s (Zumbado) husband provided a few additional amusements. What I’m getting at here is that there is good material in the Bride Hard script, but the film isn’t exactly seamless. The CGI effects could be better, and setups are presented but never fully developed, which, in some ways, helps the film pivot away from predictability, even if plenty of predictable elements remain.
The pitch meeting for Bride Hard must’ve been, “how do we get a couple, where one doesn’t want to see a romance and the other doesn’t want to see an action movie, back to the theater.” And, voila! However, what should have been a slam dunk for couples has found difficulty in the movie’s opening weekend. We also live in a time where review bombing of female-led films is a frustrating given. Perhaps there’s added aggression somewhere because the film provides the ladies the opportunity to stand in their favorite action hero’s shoes. While I don’t think that’s completely the case with Bride Hard, I don’t think it’s helping its efforts either.
Overall, Bride Hard is funnier than many of its reviews suggest. If you’re thinking of giving the film a try, and you like the sound of My Best Friend’s Die Hard, then you’re the type of person Bride Hard is meant for. I do think the demographic is more geared toward the ladies on this one, and the cast, along with three Pitch Perfect stars reuniting, should be a great selling point. But as a cis gender male with no reservations about who can or should do what, Bride Hard was simply a funny and irreverent film with a wonderful cast. No one is suggesting it’s going to replace anyone’s favorite action or wedding movies, but as a film that exists solely for the audience to have a bit of divertive fun, just add a bucket of popcorn.
Bride Hard is now playing in theaters.
Bride Hard | Official Trailer
This summer, you are invited to one unforgettable wedding. Grab your bride or die and see #BrideHard, only in theaters June 20. Website: https://www.bridehardfilm.com Follow Us on Social: https://www.facebook.com/bridehardmovie https://www.instagram.com/bridehardmovie https://www.x.com/bridehardmovie https://www.tiktok.com/@bridehardmovie Subscribe to the Magenta Light Studios YouTube Channel for more exclusive content: https://www.youtube.com/@MagentaLightStudios Sam (Rebel Wilson) is a world-class secret agent…
