An all star cast show off their comical side in this lighthearted comedy about a divorced couple, Don (Robert De Niro) and Ellie (Diane Keaton) who agree to pretend they’re still married. Their adopted son Alejandro (Ben Barnes) and his fiancée Missy (Amanda Seyfried) are very much in love and can’t wait to get married, there’s just one thing getting in the way, the fact his parents are divorced and have been for many years.

His biological mother is a devout Catholic and sees divorce to be a sin. Naturally she’s flying in from Columbia to see her son tie the knot with Missy and so Alejandro decides to hatch a plan, albeit a slightly ridiculous one, for Don and Ellie to play the happy couple and pretend they are still married. To make matters more awkward Don is living with his new girlfriend Bebe (Susan Sarandon) who just so happens to be Ellie’s former best friend…what could possibly go wrong?

Although perhaps a little predictable I found this film to be surprisingly entertaining, more so than I was expecting. There were lots of laughs and a few surprises along the way and the star studded cast really brought the film to life. I love a star studded cast and I enjoyed the dynamic of each of the characters and how they bounced off each other in each silly moment that occurred.

It’s quite amusing to see two people that have been divorced for years playing happy families again and De Niro and Keaton really do make it hilarious to watch. I also like that such a strange situation actually manages to bring the whole family closer together including Dons estranged daughter Lyla (Katherine Heigl) whose never really got on with her father (or her hairdresser by the looks of it). You can understand why though as although De Niro’s character has a good heart deep down he definitely has a sleazy/cocky nature.

There’s awkward moments aplenty as you would expect from such an awkward situation but its these moments that just make it all the more fun to watch. Its nice to see such big players in the acting world like De Niro, Sarandon and Keaton in a film like this as it shows they don’t take themselves too seriously and allows them to show off their fun side. They clearly didn’t sign up to win an Oscar, they signed up to have a good time and this really comes through.

Too add to the laughs the ceremony is led by the legend that is Robin Williams who plays Father Monaghan. Although he only has a small part in the film he never ceases to deliver and was the cherry on top of a very talented cake.

There wasn’t any real depth to the story and the script and cast aren’t exactly a match made in heaven but the level of talent involved distracts from this to a certain degree. It’s easy watching and puts a smile on your face regardless but then again I’m quite easily pleased when it comes to these sorts of films. Was it memorable? Not really. Was it award winning? Definitely not but was it funny and entertaining? Yes and it had enough substance to keep my attention even in places where it somewhat lacked.

To sum up, this film does what it says on the tin, it’s a comedy about a wedding so its probably not going to deliver anything more than what you’re already expecting. If you’re looking for some laughs and a bit of silliness from an A-List cast then ‘The Big Wedding’ should go down a treat but my feeling is that you’ll probably divorce it not long after seeing it.

Rated - 12A

I give it 3/5 Bags of Salted Popcorn

Check out the trailer: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jt9iqJA6RZM

SP

Billionaire cool guy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) better known as Iron Man is back for the third film in the Iron Man Franchise following the hugely successful Avengers Assemble. Directed by Shane Black who brought us ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ this explosive instalment ticks a lot of boxes.

The playboy charmer is facing yet another threat (does he ever get a moments peace?) and i’m not just talking about the post traumatic stress thats keeping the superhero up at night thanks to his near death experience in Avengers Assemble. Once again Stark calls upon his super cool iron suit and the help of his loyal friend Col. James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes (Don Cheadle) to help him blow things up, namely the bad guy who this time around comes in the form of evil criminal mastermind The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). I might add that this is not a giant evil fruit although that could make for quite entertaining viewing…anyway I digress slightly.

The Mandarin is hellbent on destroying Stark, his entire empire (all i’m saying is that I hope his home is insured) and the sweet and innocent Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) who is the love of Starks life. Stark wants to do everything possible to protect Pepper but actually seems to do the opposite, although not through choice I might add. Oh well they do say love works in mysterious ways or who knows maybe he secretly just prefers salt that little bit more.

Robert Downy Jr. oozed charm and charisma as ever and has that witty nature that makes him extremely watchable and likeable. I think this is not only down to how Starks character is written but also down to what Robert Downey Jr. as an actor brings to the role. Even off screen he is just a likeable guy who is charming and witty without even trying. I’m not sure I could imagine anyone else playing this character and honestly I don’t think I would want anyone else to as I think it would somewhat tarnish the Iron Man franchise.

Pepper is quite a tough cookie and lets face it shes been through quite a lot. Being with a superhero isn’t always glamour, big houses and fast cars and I liked that she was a bit more hands on in this film rather than just playing the damsel in distress. Together her and Stark really do make a great team and are ultimately made for each other. Stark and Rhodes also make for an entertaining and comical on screen duo as they fight the bad guys along with several Iron Man suits to give them a helping hand…and arm…and leg…

There were a few unexpected surprises along the way that I wasn’t expecting which I really liked as It’s always nice when that element of predictability is to a degree removed from a film, especially when its the 3rd instalment so you sort of have an idea of what to expect. I really enjoyed the humorous qualities that Black injected into the film as it added an element of lightheartedness to moments where lives where in danger and it made the scenes all the more enjoyable to watch. There was actually a lot more humour than I was expecting but I found this refreshing and fun to watch and Downey Jr. has all the qualities to pull it off perfectly.

There are plenty of thrills throughout and plenty of action packed scenes to keep you on your toes. I loved Iron Man 1 & 2 and although I thought the third was thoroughly entertaining I was expecting just that little bit more, going from people’s reactions to it. Don’t get me wrong I found it highly fun to watch and thought it was well written, directed and acted and let’s face it Iron Man is just cool, plain and simple, but I felt it was hyped up a little bit too much. It blew up a lot of things but not my mind.

I saw the film in 3D but honestly didn’t feel this added anything to the film. WHY SHOW A FILM IN 3D IF THERE IS NO 3D. I find it highly annoying. The only reason I saw it in 3D was because the showing was a better time but I just wish that if a film is going to be shown in 3D that they would make more of an effort with it. Anyway 3D rant over.

Undoubtedly one of this years biggest blockbusters, Iron Man Three will charm the pants off you, tickle your funny bone and satisfy your action appetite. Definitely worth a watch.

Rated - 12A

I give it 4/5 Bags of Salted Popcorn

Check out the trailer here: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Ke1Y3P9D0Bc

SP