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License to Wed
Warner Bros.


3.5

based on 30 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 28 votes
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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

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...

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Director Ken Kwapis uses those monster infants perfectly, down to a funny final outtake.

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.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Rev. Robin Williams goes from mildly comic to downright creepy.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Bland and boring.

Film Threat Zack Haddad

It isn’t the worst romantic comedy I have ever seen.

USA Today Claudia Puig

The characters and plot lack even a shred of credibility.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

Uneven but occasionally funny.

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.

Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt

It goes without saying that this will be no everyday marriage class, not with a hyperactive Williams setting the curriculum.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Dreadful excuse for an unromantic comedy.

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.

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.

Wall Street Journal Joanne Kaufman

The inert License to Wed shambles along one lame scene after another.

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.

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.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

This movie is bad from top to bottom, front to back, and start to finish.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Nothing in this film -- even Robin Williams, alas -- is funny.

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.

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.

Empire Tony Horkins

If ever there was lawful impediment for a marriage to not go ahead, it's this mess of a movie.

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.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

An atrocious Robin Williams vehicle that might be Hollywood's first anti-romantic comedy.

Salon.com Mary Elizabeth Williams

One unbelievably crappy movie.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

A sham.

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.

The average user rating for this movie is 3.5 (out of 10) based on 28 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.

License to Wed Warner Bros.

License to Wed
Warner Bros.