Just Married

Just Married (2003)

Genres - Comedy, Romance  |   Sub-Genres - Farce, Romantic Comedy  |   Release Date - Jan 10, 2003 (USA)  |   Run Time - 95 min.  |   Countries - Germany, United States  |   MPAA Rating - PG13
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Review by Derek Armstrong

Just Married would be indistinguishable from a dozen other Ashton Kutcher vehicles if it weren't for Brittany Murphy goosing it with nutty energy. Murphy rarely gets the credit she deserves for her googly eyes and expert pratfalls, which make her as much an heir apparent to Lucille Ball as any comic actress working today; however, it's not enough to elevate Just Married above a predictable comedy of errors set against a European backdrop. The film makes a structural misstep by opening near the end of the story with the newlyweds angrily poking and tripping each other as they weave toward baggage claim, more like elementary school kids than adults returning from an albeit disastrous honeymoon. When the actual calamities of their trip unfold and don't measure up to that level of exaggerated behavior, it leaves a bad taste. It's as though screenwriter Sam Harper made the wrong parts of the script wacky. He avoids the pitfalls of films like Eurotrip and National Lampoon's European Vacation --- it's asking for trouble to send a script through each European nation only to spoof its locals and customs. But he's weak at a more ambitious task, writing funny scenes that don't rely on ethnic stereotyping. Too bad, because Murphy and even Kutcher prove themselves capable, notably during a scene of gonzo panic as a cockroach the size of a fist crawls along Kutcher's neck.