Rebel Wilson headlines romantic musical comedy

Rebel Wilson headlines romantic musical comedy
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“Isn’t it Romantic”

Fair (1 star)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, and a brief drug reference

Running time: 88 minutes

Production Companies: Netflix / New Line Cinema

Distributor: Warner Brothers

Natalie (Rebel Wilson) is a dynamic, young professional trying to make her mark on Manhattan. But between a fledgling professional career and a dating life that isn’t faring any better, the Australian architect is close to bottoming out.

It’s a miracle her optimistic spirit hasn’t been crushed, since she was raised by an emotionally-abusive mom (Jennifer Saunders) who said she’d never amount to anything.

She has nevertheless made a few friends since moving to the States, including BFF/colleague, Josh (Adam Devine), as well as hunky Blake (Liam Hemsorth), a billionaire who is one of her company’s clients. And her buddies include a motley crew of colorful characters.

Anybody familiar with Rebel Wilson’s work knows that she’s committed to over-the-top fare as seen in her biggest hit, Picture Perfect. While this offering fails to measure up in terms of generating laughs per minute, it does at least recreate the ambiance of her typical farce.

The movie is directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, a hack who has cranked out a string of mediocre comedies such as Larceny, Naked but Funny and Stevie TV. Not a picture this critic feels comfortable recommending to any demographic. Consider that a fair warning.