‘Isn’t It Romantic’ successfully satirizes romantic comedy cliches

Collage+of+Julia+Roberts+in+the+classic+film+%E2%80%9CPretty+Woman%E2%80%9D+depicted+in+the+famous+red+dress%2C+with+Rebel+Wilson+in+%E2%80%9CIsn%E2%80%99t+It+Romantic%E2%80%9D+wearing+a+similar+gown+created+by+Blake+Smith+on+Canva.

Collage of Julia Roberts in the classic film “Pretty Woman” depicted in the famous red dress, with Rebel Wilson in “Isn’t It Romantic” wearing a similar gown created by Blake Smith on Canva.

Rom-com movies have fallen under harsh scrutiny for cheesy, unrealistic tropes and actions recently. But “Isn’t It Romantic” playfully acts on these, and ultimately, flips the genre on its head.

Following high praise in comedies like the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy, as well as romantic comedies “Bridesmaids” and “How to Be Single,” Rebel Wilson finally takes center stage as the film’s protagonist. From the opening credits, Natalie’s (Wilson) amusing, yet cynical lead is relatable in character and disheveled appearance.

“I deliberately try to look pretty bad in the first act of [Isn’t It Romantic]. No, I wouldn’t say bad. I shouldn’t. But more like really real,” Wilson said in an interview with Pop Sugar.

However, Wilson’s not the only big name to star in this feature. Notable actors such as Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine, and Priyanka Chopra, star alongside her.

Their performances blend beautifully and hilariously together. Aware of the satire and humor of this film, the cast plays off one another well to deliver the ridiculous aspects of romantic comedies.

Wilson, Hemsworth, and Devine blew me away the most in their performances. While Wilson and Devine are commonly known for their witty jokes and ad-libs, a more serious approach to their characters showcase completely different acting sides to the pair. However, Hemsworth provides the opposite. The actor contributes silly, physical humor that leaves the audience in stitches.

My biggest issue with the movie was the on-the-nose message of self-love. Though the theme itself proves important, I wished the message could be less blatant.

Romantic tropes, like flawless New York, effortless meet-cutes, and crowd karaoke with choreography, all find a place in this film. However, each of these commonly used tropes makes jabs towards classic romantic comedies like “13 Going on 30,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”

As a fan of Wilson and Devine’s banter in the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy, my interest in going to see the film increased once I knew about their reunion in this movie. Ultimately, I was not let down.

“We love working together. We have really good chemistry with each other, and the movie script was super funny, so as soon as I read it, and I knew Rebel was attached, I was like, yeah, sign me up,” Devine said in an interview with Hollywood Life.