Another chick-flick review: The Ugly Truth

Yep, saw the new Gerard Butler-Katherine Heigl film today. It did pretty well at the box office, grossing $27 million, but was it actually worth seeing? The answer: Sort of.

Firstly, I'm sort of a mark for Butler. Any actor who can go from starring in one of the most manly, blood-and-guts movies ever made (300) to being a respected comedy lead fairly seamlessly, as he did, deserves a ton of respect, and I don't think he's gotten it. He plays the role of "regular douchebag" well in this movie, despite plot twists you can see coming from miles away.

The rest of the movie? Eh. I've never been a big Heigl fan. Yes, she's pretty, but it wasn't an accident that she went from "the next big thing" just a few years ago to "just another pretty actress" now. She was passable, but hardly outstanding. The supporting cast was fine as well; no stand-out, show-stealing performances, but nobody really took away from it with bad ones, either.

The main beef I have with it is the same beef I have with 90% of romantic comedies ever made. You know the plot from the previews, and you know EXACTLY how it's going to shake out because they all end the exact same way. If the ride from the beginning you know until the end any dimwit can figure out is engaging without being too over-the-top, the movie generally isn't repulsive. Those that can pull it off compare favorably, and those that don't disappear after a short time.

This one falls in the middle. Yes, you check your disbelief at the door with romantic comedies, but there were times where I said to myself (and the wife), "This is stupid." Some of the stuff they try does work (Butler and Heigl have decent chemistry together, so they can pull off stuff other on-screen couples can't); others, like the old vibrating-underwear-at-dinner trick, fall flat.

The verdict: As chick flicks go, you've seen worse. Butler is funny, the rest of the cast is passable, and the 96-minute plot is a bit of a roller coaster with holes that will annoy you at some point. It's certainly better than The Proposal (thank goodness) despite its inconsistencies, and it's generally watchable. RATING: **1/2