Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Doug Harris is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams, Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan, owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bromance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy.
The Wedding Ringer is a competent but formulaic comedy built on a predictable bromance arc with few surprises. The premise has some novelty on paper but executes mostly by-the-numbers beats — the elaborate wedding con, the inevitable emotional bonding, and the third-act fallout are all telegraphed well in advance. Kevin Hart brings genuine energy and charisma that elevates the material beyond what the script deserves, and Josh Gad is an affable straight-man, making the acting the film's clearest strength. Cinematography is workmanlike with nothing distinctive. The ending resolves exactly as expected with no subversive or memorable touch. It's a watchable crowd-pleaser that stays squarely in average comedy territory.