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License to Wed
Warner Bros.

License to Wed reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 25 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
3.6 out of 10
based on 30 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 27 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sexual humor and language

Starring Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor, Josh Flitter, Peter Strauss, and Roxanne Hart

License to Wed follows newly engaged Ben Murphy and his fiancée, Sadie Jones, in their quest to live happily ever after. The problem is that Sadie’s family church, St. Augustine’s, is run by Reverend Frank, who won’t bless Ben and Sadie’s union until they pass his patented, "foolproof" marriage-prep course. Consisting of outrageous classes, outlandish homework assignments and some outright invasion of privacy, Reverend Frank’s rigorous curriculum puts Ben and Sadie’s relationship to the test. Forget happily ever after – do they even have what it takes to make it to the altar? (Warner Bros.)


GENRE(S): Comedy  |  Romance  
WRITTEN BY: Wayne Lloyd (story), Kim Barker (& story)
Tim Rasmussen
Vince Di Meglio
 
DIRECTED BY: Ken Kwapis  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: October 30, 2007 
Theatrical: July 3, 2007 
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75
Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
Director Ken Kwapis uses those monster infants perfectly, down to a funny final outtake.
Read Full Review
50
Miami Herald Connie Ogle
The fact that License to Wed isn't as unbearable as its trailers make it look doesn't mean it's good. It's not. It's just another mediocre addition -- worse than the best sitcoms, better than the worst.
Read Full Review
50
New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Rev. Robin Williams goes from mildly comic to downright creepy.
Read Full Review
50
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
Bland and boring.
Read Full Review
50
Film Threat Zack Haddad
It isn’t the worst romantic comedy I have ever seen.
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50
USA Today Claudia Puig
The characters and plot lack even a shred of credibility.
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50
Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Uneven but occasionally funny.
Read Full Review
42
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
The creepy-faced robot twin babies are funny (for a while); the rest of the film is not. It's like "Meet the Parents" with Dr. Phil as the officiant from hell.
Read Full Review
40
Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
It goes without saying that this will be no everyday marriage class, not with a hyperactive Williams setting the curriculum.
Read Full Review
38
Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Williams' grimace is starting to look desperate. Then again, no one comes off well in director Ken Kwapis' handling of this greasy screenplay.
Read Full Review
38
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
The outtakes that accompany the end credits suggest that making the movie was a blast; it's a shame the same can't be said for watching it.
Read Full Review
38
Premiere Stephen Saito
Krasinski and Moore are an adorable couple, but marriage material they aren't, especially since they're given a mere ten minutes to form a full-fledged relationship before Williams breathlessly barges into the picture.
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33
The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Krasinski knows how to play off Williams--his pained looks are all too appropriate in the face of Williams' desperate shtick--but it's disillusioning to see him here, because he seems too smart for this film.
Read Full Review
30
Variety Brian Lowry
Pic is at best a relatively harmless way to enjoy air conditioning for those who admire Williams' ability to riff, even at his most irritating.
Read Full Review
30
Village Voice Ella Taylor
Dreadful excuse for an unromantic comedy.
Read Full Review
30
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Director Ken Kwapis (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) gives this script by many hands a certain gloss it doesn't deserve.
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30
Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust
The movie is a pastiche of tortured slapstick, groan-inducing dialogue and a lethal dose of treacle, apparently awaiting one of Williams' trademark sprees of riffing and vamping to save the day. That moment never comes, however.
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30
Wall Street Journal Joanne Kaufman
The inert License to Wed shambles along one lame scene after another.
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25
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey
Forget about "Saw," "Hostel" and all the other films in the new, notorious torture-porn genre. If you're looking for a really sick movie, check out License to Wed.
Read Full Review
25
New York Post Kyle Smith
Watching Robin Williams as a pastor giving premarital counseling to lovebirds John Krasinski and Mandy Moore in License to Wed is like having a laugh chastity belt cinched up tight around your funny bone.
Read Full Review
25
ReelViews James Berardinelli
This movie is bad from top to bottom, front to back, and start to finish.
Read Full Review
25
Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
Nothing in this film -- even Robin Williams, alas -- is funny.
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25
Boston Globe Wesley Morris
If unused spit takes, flubbed dialogue, and extra improvisation are so uproarious, why not give us 90 minutes of that? License to Wed is tolerable for about five.
Read Full Review
20
The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
Working from a flawed premise with characters lacking credibility and plot turns more moronic than funny, the movie flatlines in about five minutes.
Read Full Review
20
Empire Tony Horkins
If ever there was lawful impediment for a marriage to not go ahead, it's this mess of a movie.
Read Full Review
10
The New York Times A.O. Scott
The only thing that kept me watching License to Wed until the end (apart from being paid to do so) was the faith, perhaps misplaced, that I will not see a worse movie this year.
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8
Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan
An atrocious Robin Williams vehicle that might be Hollywood's first anti-romantic comedy.
Read Full Review
0
Salon.com Mary Elizabeth Williams
One unbelievably crappy movie.
Read Full Review
0
Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer
A sham.
Read Full Review
0
San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle
There's bad, there's awful and there's horrible, and then somewhere beyond that, in its own Kingdom of Lousy -- where all the milk curdles and the jokes aren't funny -- is License to Wed, the latest ghastly exercise starring Robin Williams.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 3.6 (out of 10) based on 27 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
Pure horror.

Quinn R. gave it a7:
Not nearly as bad as the critics said. This movie is at times laugh out loud funny and should be watched before it is judged.

D K. gave it a2:
License to Wed has a decent premise and a solid cast, but thanks to a flailing script and Ken Kwapis sugar coated direction the whole affair ends up as appealing as stale wedding cake.

bob n gave it a2:
Somewhat awkward makes this movie hard to like.

Emily K. gave it a9:
Ignore the reviews I LOVED this movie!!!

Rienye N. gave it a0:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the new Cuba Gooding Jnr!!!! there are two words that sum up this movie: PURILE GARBAGE!!! it is horrendously unfunny. The script is weak, jokes are severely lacking in humor and the cast leaves alot to be desired. All i can say is "SHAME ON ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS MOVIE!"

Martin H gave it a0:
Bad things should happen to anyone responsible for this movie. They should be forced to watch this film.

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