What exactly is the problem with 27 Dresses? You've seen it all before. It mines no new territory. Hmm, maybe I should stop there and call this the world's shortest movie review? On second thought, since I'm paid one hundred dollars per word, let's just plod on with a cursory examination of an eminently forgettable little flick.

I enjoy comedy. Plus, I'm married, so at some point I must have believed in romance. Zing! Ha ha, hon, just kidding. But seriously, try the veal. Examples of romantic comedies I enjoy include Love Actually, About a Boy and High Fidelity. Recently Enchanted was very cute. Heck, I even liked the Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet. So you see, I'm not some heartless minstrel up here in my ivory tower wishing derision upon Kat Heigl. I wanted to like this film. Wanted to say, "ha." Wanted to take an emotional journey. That's not what the filmmakers had in store for me though.

The story, as foreshadowed by the poster, title, and trailer, is about a gal who is the constant bridesmaid. It's a good concept, one ripe for the picking. We all know the mania that surrounds weddings; Wedding Crashers made half of a stellar comedy movie about it (before finally succumbing to the temptation to make it "meaningful"). Heigl is a great choice too and when the movie is funny it falls upon her statuesque golden curls. When they allow her to riff she's solid. Her physical comedy abilities are strong too; she's got the Jim Carrey school of funny faces handbook in her back pocket. The issue is they don't do it often enough; what should be a story about the transition from bridesmaid to...something... instead becomes the story of Heigl pitted against her sister. The conflict is based upon her sister swooping in and targeting Heigl's number-one crush.

Which leads me nicely to the next category for discussion. What the hell happened to Ed Burns? No, I mean seriously, what happened? This guy was dynamite in his opening acts - The Brothers McMullen and She's The One hold up nicely on the romantic comedy front. It's been 13 years since those films were made and he seems to have regressed. The part he's asked to play is one note - but that note comes off flat here.

This movie is a collection of montages and "trailer scenes." You know the sort of scene that looks good in a 15-second burst, the one where you turn to the camera and say, "I don't even know if you EVER loved me!" while busting into waterworks hysterics? This has those. But it doesn't earn them. You want to go Prince of Tides (book, not movie) on me then you'd better have invested in the characters. Otherwise I chuckle. I chuckled here.

So there you have it. Not good news. I'll end with a hopeful sentiment because that's just how I boogie. If you only see a romantic comedy every few years you'll be fine here. It's a breezy Friday night out with a few laughs if you're not an avid movie fan. If, however, you enjoy the genre and want those heartstrings pulled with care... well, you're quite out of luck here.

Grade: D+