Bridesmaids - Don't Go In Expecting The Hangover. It's Different

Bridesmaids is getting rave reviews and being called “a female version of The Hangover.” We want to correct this assertion, at least a little bit, so that blog readers won’t be disappointed at the theater. Sometimes having different expectations of a movie can ruin an otherwise enjoyable movie. Guys, don’t expect to go into Bridesmaids and see the wolf pack. With the way it's being advertised and the critics' blurbs, you might go in expecting the laugh-fest of your life. What you get is a good movie about friends that’s occasionally really funny. It's not fair to compare it to The Hangover, because it's trying to do something different here. It's trying to be a genuine, funny chick flick that actual women can relate to.

The most important point. 1) Bridesmaids is funny, but it also has relationship stuff, friendship stuff, life stuff, depressing stuff, awkward stuff, and serious moments. Like most Judd Apatow comedies, Bridesmaids sometimes hits the snooze on the comedy in order to inject heart and maturity. We like this sometimes, but that’s definitely a difference from The Hangover. It’s like if The Hangover and a chick flick had a baby. But that baby didn’t exactly make it to Vegas. That’s right. Don’t go in expecting a Vegas vacation movie. Ninety percent of the action takes place in the bride’s hometown of Milwaukee.

2) The sex scene at the beginning is reminiscent of something you would see on Sex and the City: Explicit and absolutely hilarious. There’s a pretty funny gross-out scene too. But this early sex scene makes you think you are going to see a movie like that the entire time. You're not. It calms down. It chills out. Some people won't like that.

3) It’s long and sometimes it feels long. Remember Funny People? Partly funny, but mostly long and grown-up? Bridesmaids is funnier than that movie, but it’s a movie like that.

4) Do you hate awkward humor where you just feel really bad for the people being embarrassed? Then a few scenes will be hellish for you, like they were for Leeard.

5) Lots of people thought the overweight, weird woman who farts or burps in the trailer would be overused and annoying. This is not the case. While not as funny or memorable as The Hangover’s Alan, she is really funny. And only used a little. We could have stood two more scenes with her, easily. We didn’t think Gilmore Girls’ Sookie could be that wonderfully weird and gross, but we were proven wrong.

6) Kristen Wiig is really good in it. And girls who aren’t, shall we say, the typical sorority girl will relate to her.

We recommend this movie, but only after you read these caveats so you don’t go in expecting an immature, raucous, shocking good time with no slow, serious parts.

Movie Grade: A-