‘Shotgun Wedding’ (2023) Review

Shotgun Wedding Synopsis: Darcy and Tom gather their families for the ultimate destination wedding but when the entire wedding party is taken hostage the bride and groom must save their loved ones–if they don’t kill each other first.

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In Shotgun Wedding, Darcy and Tom are ready to walk down the aisle after four years together. Darcy is happy enough to get married, but Tom has been working hard to ensure every second of the wedding is perfect. But things aren’t exactly going to plan.

Darcy’s father isn’t too fond of Tom, Darcy feels overwhelmed by the size of the wedding, and her ex-fiance, Sean, has arrived, having been invited by her father. On the wedding day, pirates take the guests hostage, leaving Tom and Darcy the only two left to save the day.

It’s always lovely to see Jennifer Lopez starring in a rom-com, and how blessed are we that we got two, back to back? In Marry Me, she plays a superstar who marries a random guy she picks out of her audience. In Shotgun Wedding, she’s an attorney marrying a major league baseball player at the tail-end of his career.

Lopez has shown her ability to take on more challenging, dramatic roles, but I genuinely believe she’s built for romantic comedies. Few actresses could make this movie worth watching, and Lopez is one of them.

Armie Hammer was initially cast as Tom, but after the sexual abuse scandal broke, the film’s producers recast with Josh Duhamel. I think this was a good call. Duhamel has proven himself worthy of the genre, and I believe he and Lopez had decent chemistry. He’s charming, even when he’s playing a DIY-loving goofball. Maybe it’s because I’m not a Hammer fan, but I do not think he could hold his own on-screen opposite Jennifer Lopez.

Shotgun Wedding’s story itself was fine. Nothing overly unique or original. I called the “twist” a little over halfway through. Lenny Kravitz plays Darcy’s ex-fiance, Sean, but he seems miscast. Kravtiz is a great musician, but I’m not overly impressed by his acting ability, and Sean never felt like a legit threat. Jennifer Coolidge is a bonus to anything she’s in, and here she’s a delight as Carol, Tom’s mother.

There is plenty of action as Tom and Darcy struggle to survive while zip-tied together, running from gun-toting pirates. This produces most of the laughs since neither Tom nor Darcy are action heroes. But they do what they can, and watching them progress from bickering couple to badasses is quite fun. Their scenes together are generally the best part of the movie, especially when Darcy is holding a live grenade or passing out at the sight of blood.

Shotgun Wedding is fine for what it was, and if you’re a lover of the genre, you’ll want to check it out. But if you’re picky about what romantic comedies you’ll watch and you’re looking for a superior, running for their lives in a jungle/on an island romance, then watch Romancing the Stone or The Lost City.

Watched: 02.03.2023
Notable Song: I’ll Be by Edwin McCain