Talking Pictures

Rich Bonaduce reviews “When in Rome”

Rich’s Quickie: I’m gonna take crap for this, but I thought it was fairly cute; and not just because they showed Kristen Bell jogging away from the camera. A lot. It certainly helped, though.

When? The support cast also helped (although what the HELL was Angelica Huston doing in this movie?), with Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Bobby Moynihan and Danny DeVito providing some legitimate relief.
But it’s Josh Duhamel who saves this flick. He is just charming enough, just self-deprecating enough, and even handles slapstick stuff well enough (coming off as endearing rather than silly), that he’s the kind of guy girls want, and that guys want as their wingman.

Why? But if you’re going to have Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite’s “Pedro”) show up opposite Heder, why not have Arnett play the MAGICIAN? And why oh WHY must every successful single woman seem incomplete without a guy? Not even without just DATING a guy, but without actually MARRYING a guy? What year is this? Additionally, a lightning strike device seems out of place, except as fodder for a one-liner (admittedly well-delivered by Duhamel). And only a movie that crawls inside you more should have a Bollywood-style credit roll; otherwise, it just overstays its welcome. But still – Rome is funnier than it had a right to be.

Movie Grade: C+

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content, and for Kristen Bell jogging away from the camera.

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writers: David Diamond (written by) & David Weissman (written by)

Tags: Rich Bonaduce reviews, when in rome
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