Shotgun Wedding Review: ‘Till Death

Before I saw it, I was surprised that Prime Video’s Shotgun Wedding didn’t get a theatrical release. With the star power of Jennifer Lopez on her own, it could easily have a decent box-office opening, especially in today’s rom-com renaissance.

However, after viewing it, I can see why the film stuck to streaming.

That’s not to say Shotgun Wedding isn’t a fun watch — it is! Unfortunately, it loses steam about two-thirds of the way in, falling victim to the same stereotypes as most other high-adrenaline rom-coms.

It’s also at a disadvantage due to its release date. After both The Lost City and Ticket to Paradise, there are a few unique propositions in Shotgun Wedding‘s favor. It’s a carbon copy film with a slightly different font. That’s neither good nor bad, but it is what it is.

To its credit, Shotgun Wedding has a killer cast. Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhahmel are both rom-com veterans, and they have a dynamic chemistry as soon-to-be newlyweds. The supporting crew is led by Jennifer Coolidge, Cheech Marin, Lenny Kravitz, and D’arcy Carden.

It’s the support that allows Shotgun Wedding to stand apart in its competitive set. Where those films might have spent too much on the main romance, Coolidge’s Mother of the Groom gets her own time to shine. And the roles that Kravitz and Carden end up playing in the blackmail plot are a novel twist even in this tired story.

Coolidge stands apart from the rest. Whether it’s just her or she lends a little cluelessness to her character Carole, she has me belly laughing in the midst of the film’s high points. 

Those highs are the film’s first two acts: the setup and the escape. The first is where we meet our cast of characters, from Duhamel’s Tom, a failed baseball star, to Lopez’s Darcy, a former Peace Corp volunteer.

They’re getting married later in life and paying for their own nuptials, even if Darcy’s father is made of money. That is what this whole story hinges on, money, which is pretty unoriginal.

By the way, it’s amazing to me that both Lopez and Duhamel are over 50 already. You would think they’re still in their late 20’s/early 30’s the way they zip through the jungle. In an industry where ageism runs rampant, these two are laughing in its face. It just goes to show that there’s no age limit to love or to lead a successful rom-com!

Duhamel and Lopez lean into the story’s physical comedy elements once they’re kidnapped by the pirates, which is where Shotgun Wedding shines. They’re hilarious as hostages, especially as they’re trying to escape and outmaneuver the duo that is trying to return them to base.

The entire sequence where Darcy learns about the consequences of releasing her grenade is one of the film’s best. And Lopez’s commitment to the bit about Darcy’s fear of blood is another one of the movie’s funniest.

Lopez, to her credit, knows how to lead a rom-com, as both star and producer, and Duhamel makes his case for more lead roles. While Coolidge makes a lasting impact, some of the other names in Shotgun Wedding are underutilized, D’Arcy Carden in particular. 

She obviously knows how to make a comedic splash, but her lack of material to work with, outside of the humor of being too into yoga, is a misstep in the film’s script.

The pace of the story slows down when Darcy and Tom outrun one group of pirates and have to hide from the next. The adrenaline wears off, forcing us to have to listen to them talk. It is unfortunately not as fun as watching them zipline to their freedom.

There’s nothing wrong with their relationship resolution, but it brings down the mood, and the film is never able to recoup the loss of energy.

The reveal of the “big bads” is a bit surprising. Nothing in the film’s trailers hinted at the twist, so when the pirate movie turns out to be more than just a pirate movie, my expectations are happily exceeded.

And yet, the final showdown, at sea this time, is still lacking. It wraps up a little too quickly and without the same level of humor as the showdowns in the first half of the film.

Shotgun Wedding ends on a high note though, letting the beaten down couple finally tie the knot in front of their loved ones. The end credits scene brings the fun energy back to the forefront, and the karaoke is only second to the film’s earlier absurd, impromptu acapella rendition of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.”

If JLo and Ryan Reynolds (he’s an executive producer) continue making projects like Shotgun Wedding, I think there’s a long creative partnership in the future. It’s worth the watch, and the action from the beginning should be enough to sustain you through the end.

Stray Thoughts:

• Callie Hernandez is a particular standout. I look forward to more from her.
• I love that Jennifer Coolidge is having her moment in Hollywood, and how she’s fully taking advantage of it.
• Armie Hammer was originally the leading man in this movie, and I wonder if that would have changed anything.
• Might be controversial, but D’Arcy Carden’s character is right — they should have upped the stakes by killing one of the hostages. That would have set this movie apart from its competitors.
• This movie is full of great one-liners!
• Perfect mic drop ending with the firework surprise from the best man. No notes.

What did you think of Shotgun Wedding? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Shotgun Wedding is now streaming on Prime Video.

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