Netflix’s Love Wedding Repeat & The Main Event Reviews

Just to do something different, check out my reviews of two of the many originals films that premiered this weekend on Netflix, Love Wedding Repeat and The Main Event.

Love Wedding Repeat

Dysfunctional British comedy fans rejoice though non-fans may have a hard time with Love Wedding Repeat. Almost like a modern reboot of 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral, this romantic comedy obviously still revolves around a wedding though seemed more interested in being some sort of meta exploration on love and the power of the universe (thanks to some unnecessary narration by a Judi Dench sound-alike who was really Dench’s actual assistant Penny Ryder). However, it couldn’t quite get either right as one often worked against the other. While it did have its moments, the humor was more miss than hit as its somewhat convoluted story full of thin characters only worked to service its equally thin and dull premise. Most viewers will surely find themselves tuning out all of the film’s moving parts, however, those who can connect with any of its characters should have a better time.

Love Wedding Repeat sees a man named Jack (Claflin) who found himself managing his sister Hayley’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) wedding while juggling a diverse group of quirky characters who are only defined by said quirks, the only noteworthy character from that group was Dina (Munn), a woman for whom he developed a connection in the past before letting her get away before she coincidentally found herself back in Jack’s life as a guest of the wedding. There were plenty of other characters with their own subplots but they wouldn’t matter whatsoever as at the end of the day, it was all about Jack and Dina (and to a lesser extent Hayley) and the question of will they or won’t they be together by the end. Suffice it to say that said path would not be a simple one. At least the film gave him a few cracks at getting it right, offering many alternate versions of events based on chance (the versions shown during the end credits were much more interesting). While the end was inevitable, this was just a gimmick.

Ultimately, the best part of Love Wedding Repeat was the performances of Claflin and Munn as Jack and Dina respectively. Their individual charm and chemistry keeps the film watchable despite the fact that the relationship between their characters lacked development to the point of believability. Claflin, in a role that most are probably not accustomed to, bumbles his way through the proceedings while Munn simply charms her way though. While this was admittedly not much, it works well.

In the end, Love Wedding Repeat is a decent escape but a forgettable one and something that will surely disappear amongst the rest of the noise on the service.

The Main Event

When it comes to The Main Event, it’s pretty simple. It all comes down to the premise. Being geared to children, there’s already a basic level of disbelief required to enjoy the film. However, this film is certainly pushing it (though this reviewer is obviously not part of the film’s target audience). Though films about 11-year-old aspiring wrestlers don’t come around too often, there was just something about this one that struck a chord but for the wrong reasons. Maybe it’s only fitting for a wrestling film to be over-the-top (and not just because of the wrestling itself). Its truly ridiculous premise along with its highly predictable and contrived nature will make this feel like a chore to watch. However, younger audiences and some wrestling fans will surely find something to enjoy here. In the end, children’s films are meant to be distractions and this film will likely do the trick.

The Main Event saw 11-year-old aspiring wrestler Leo’s (Carr) life change after finding a magical wrestling mask that granted him the power to become the uber-confident and uber-powerful wrestler he had always dreamed to be. There were other subplots going on but they didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. The story for the most part plays out in a familiar way and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. The film wants us to follow Leo and form a connection to him through his predictable ups and downs and the friction in between though it was hard to do so. Leo’s abilities and many of the special effects that brought them to life were utterly ridiculous (though the fact that he was an 11-year-old boy emphasized this) which some may find entertaining, however, from there, the story would snowball into something increasingly obnoxious and not endearing whatsoever. Of course the end was inevitable.

In terms of acting, The Main Event was okay. Carr definitely brought plenty of energy and charisma to Leo but it only made him come off as obnoxious. His chemistry with Arnold as his grandmother was kinds fun though her personality was also obnoxious and arguably painful. She was a wrestling fan just like Leo, however, she also tried too hard to be hip and current while being saddled with horrible dialog. Pally was fine as Leo’s father Steve in a role that could only be described as present. Meanwhile, the only remotely noteworthy performance was from Ken Marino in a minor role as a wrestling manager named Frankie.

In the end, The Main Event may very well serve as a decent distraction but there are plenty of better wrestling films out there.

*stills courtesy of Netflix*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.