By Jae-Ha Kim
Amazon.com
Theatrical release: September 21, 2007
In a perfect world, Good Luck Chuck would’ve captured the humor of Superbad and the raunch of the American Pie films. But what we’re left with, instead, is a raunchy film with an anemic storyline.
Cursed as a child with a hex that prevents him from finding true love, Charlie “Chuck” Logan (Dane Cook) finds that the women he dates find the men of their dreams immediately after they’ve dumped him.
For a guy who enjoys dating beautiful women, it doesn’t seem like such a horrible thing.
But then he meets and falls for beautiful and klutzy Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba). Charlie wants to have a meaningful relationship with her, but how can he make her fall in love with him without losing her to some unknown man waiting to sweep her off her feet?
Good Luck Chuck isn’t an original movie; Cook and Alba make for an attractive couple that exudes warm chemistry.
And Alba proves that while she may be famous for her body, she’s quite adept at physical comedy.
Dan Fogler doesn’t fare as well. He has the thankless role of playing Charlie’s obnoxious best friend Stu, a borderline perv plastic surgeon who proudly displays a set of Pamela Anderson’s breast implants in his office (which, coincidentally enough, is located right next door to Charlie’s).
The dialogue is crass and the direction is all over the place. Everything is played for laughs, but little actually is very funny in this comedy.
This movie actually could’ve used a bit more good luck. And lots more wit.
