Marry Me (2022)

Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: Marry Me (2022)
Genre: Comedy, Music, Romance
Length: 112 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Universal Pictures, Kung Fu Monkey Productions, Nuyorican Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Peacock, B&H Film Distribution, Cinemundo, Tulip Entertainment, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures Argentina, Universal Pictures International (UPI)
Director: Kat Coiro
Writer:  John Rogers, Tami Sagher, Harper Dill, Bobby Crosby
Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley, Sarah Silverman, Chloe Coleman, Michelle Buteau, Khalil Middleton, Katrina Cunningham
 
Blurb from IMDb: Music superstars Kat Valdez and Bastian are getting married before a global audience of fans. But when Kat learns, seconds before her vows, that Bastian has been unfaithful, she decides to marry Charlie, a stranger in the crowd, instead.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Marry Me may be the most honestly marketed film I’ve ever seen.
 
Trailers are meant to give you a decent idea of what to expect. It doesn’t always work out that way. Too often, coming attractions will try to make a movie seem like some thing it isn’t. They’ll take a basic recipe film and try to convince you there’s a twist, or they’ll take a twisty-turny flick and show you all the important scenes right there in a two-minute video.
 
When I saw the Marry Me trailer, my first instinct was that it had a relatively original meet-cute. Delving deeper, I said it seemed like it would be a basic recipe flick with some heart-warming content. I also believed that the experience of Jennifer Lopez (Shades of Blue, Home, Second Act) and Owen Wilson (Wonder, The French Dispatch, Loki) would elevate it into something worth watching.
 
I’d love to take the credit for being 100% on point, but I didn’t exactly have any hot takes on this one. The advertising was just so spot-on that there was no way to get that wrong. I cannot say how much I appreciate that honest of a trailer.
 
The movie itself was cute.
 

I enjoyed the entire film. The actors really did elevate what could have been a basic story into something fun to watch.
 
There was no question about what would happen. It was definitely paint-by-numbers. I assume that’s why critics aren’t loving it. But if you look at the audience score, it tells a different story. The reason for that is because it’s FUN and it’s a dose of rom-com escapism that is well above most other films from the genre.
 
Just the fact that both main characters remain distinctly likeable throughout the whole runtime, sets this film apart from others like it.
 
It’s also got some great messages that I don’t feel like other rom-coms work hard enough to get across.
 
If you’re a fan of romantic comedies and you need something to throw on, especially after a break-up, this is exactly what you should watch.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I had no idea that Marry Me was based on a webcomic and graphic novel series. I am now significantly intrigued and might just go hunt it down. I’m curious how well this big-screen adaptation captured the story’s essence and if it delves further into the lives of the characters past the end credits of this installment.
 
I fell in love with Marry Me when my family and I watched it together today. We laughed, we rooted for characters, and we found ourselves heckling the screen in a few places. (It’s a good thing we were streaming this on Peacock at home, right?)
 
My brain stuttered a bit when I attempted to even try to begin to explain what I enjoyed so much about Marry Me. It was the whole package, really. Was this film groundbreaking? No. Did I care for a single second? Hell no. Marry Me was a fun experience from beginning to end.
 
It felt like a little peek into the crazy world that celebrities like Jennifer Lopez live in. As outlandish as the premise of the plot may be, I had no trouble suspending disbelief. The production quality was outstanding. The dialogue felt genuine. There was even some chemistry between J-Lo and Owen Wilson. That, honestly, was the biggest surprise for me. They were an unlikely pairing, and I think that just lends more to the story.
 

For full disclosure, I might be slightly biased to Lopez, as I’ve been a fan of hers dating back to her stint as a Fly Girl on In Living Color (1990-1994). She is phenomenally talented and Marry Me is exactly the sort of movie that showcased it well. It felt like we got a mini-concert, and I was here for it. I haven’t always been a fan of Wilson, however. I don’t know what it is, but in some movies, I click with him, and in others I’d like to punch him. For Marry Me? I wanted to give him a hug – when I didn’t want to smack his character for being occasionally dumb.
 
They weren’t the only cast members that had me giddy, though. It was fun to see Chloe Coleman (My Spy, Big Little Lies, Kinderwood). Sarah Silverman (The Book of Henry, Don't Look Up, Bob's Burgers) was in her element. I was also super excited to see John Bradley (The Brothers Grimsby, American Satan, Patient Zero). Kudos to Maluma for his first live-action full-length feature, as well. While he voiced a character in Encanto (2021), his prior film credits were generally musical appearances. I enjoyed getting a taste of his musical performances and vocal styling.
 
Valentine’s Day has already come and gone, but if you’re looking for a feel-good rom-com to settle in with, you really couldn’t go wrong with Marry Me. Understandably, the critics don’t get it. This isn’t an art-house piece and it’s not meant to be taken so seriously. Audiences seem to be overwhelmingly loving Marry Me, and I have to agree. Marry Me was solid streaming entertainment. My answer to the title question was yes.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 58%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 92%
Metascore – 50%
Metacritic User Score – 6.5
IMDB Score – 6.2/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
P.S. Some short scenes play through during the credits.
 
Movie Trailer: