The movie, in its basic concept, is corny and contrived, but as written and directed by Justin Zackham, it's executed in a pleasantly wry and understated fashion.
The fact that the three actors who do most of the fooling around — Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon — have a combined age of 202 pegs this as a sex romp for the Viagra crowd.
Cliche'd, corny and contrived at times, but writer-director Justin Zackham makes it work, the A-list cast here is wasted, but they make the material given to them considerable. Sarandon and Keaton and De Niro have beautiful adorable chemistry, and even know this isn't Heigl's best film, she does do a great job portraying as this mean spirited character, but it's the best character I've seen her play. Don (played by Robert De Niro) and Ellie Griffin (Diane Keaton) are divorced, but their adopted Alejandro's (Ben Barnes) biological mother unexpectedly decides to come to wedding, she believes that divorce is a big fat sin, so Don and Ellie are forced to be a married couple. They also have to confront their past, present and future. And avoid killing each other through the process. The chemistry between Barnes and Seyfried is cute; this could of have been terribly made but Zackham makes it charming and witty, also makes it stunning. Grade B+
The movie wasn't all that funny, it was very predictable, cliché and there were a few plot holes, but it was rather entertaining and it was just dumb fun. Overall, it's not a bad movie, it's just your average romantic comedy.
Quaint and crass get together — or would that be “bump uglies”? — with awkward, thoroughly flat results in The Big Wedding, an ensemble comedy with a tonal cluelessness as surprising as the name cast that signed on for it anyway.
“I’d rather gouge my eyes out with hot spoons!’’ De Niro exclaims at one point. I’m not sure exactly what he was talking about, but I’d like to think it referred to the prospect of being forced to watch The Big Wedding.
In short, a little unpretentious and relaxing movie.
Of course, it's not the smartest movie I've ever seen, and the story's not particularly interesting. It's just a movie to watch when you don't want to think about anything. The cast is surprisingly rich : it's weird, at the beginning, to see Robert DeNiro, Ben Barnes, and Katherine Heighl in the same room but, why not ?
The Big Wedding is a corny romantic flick. It takes up some space and with a long super cast it does entertain. Not to mention that Justin Zackham who got to work with Robert De Niro has made a quite disappointing movie. The Big Wedding is just a film about Robert De Niro and his Oldey girlfriend get together for a wedding and "things" happen. It's weird that people didn't like it. I mean its a okay movie. I wanted to give it a 4 or 0 or 3 but still i enjoyed it. It's one of these movies that you won't remember. One time watch will be great at a matinee price only. Only.
The movie is not delivering anything new, it is incredibly tiresome and ordinary, it has lots of cliches some giggles but nothing really overall new. Despite being not that funny with third rate predictable story, it is one of the sweetest movies I have ever watch, including the big and great cast ensemble, it is entertaining and an enjoyable movie just to pass time, it is not a bad movie but absolutely it is not a good movie either, it is just static and funny for what it is, but no one is gonna remember it, you'll have some entertaining time and some laughs, but you will go out of the theater saying "whatever". It is corny, cheesy and unoriginal in so many ways, but it is not a bad experience, just watch it, and you will be enjoying it till the finish, but it is not near great and it is not bad, it is a mediocre rom-com.
Perhaps the writer and director was unaware of all of the versions of film in the last twenty years. I beg to differ. If and only if a film choses a similar path to other premises, the film must excel in some way. The Big Wedding does not.
"The Big Wedding" 10 Scale Rating: 2.0 (Awful) ...
The Good: While they didn't deliver, the cast is a talented group.
The Bad: Despite all that talent, the film fails on every level. A comedy that isn't funny, a character study full of uninteresting people, and a level of debauchery that feels forced. Even De Niro, in all his glory, was awful ... and that was difficult to believe. Just a shoddy effort all around.