It’s June, which means wedding season has officially kicked off; what better way to celebrate than with your girls on a private island? But what happens when one of the bridesmaids is also a secret agent, who has been globe-trotting around the world and avoiding collateral damage while keeping your non-spy friends blissfully unaware of your two-faced existence? The answer: hijinks in the form of Rebel Wilson as the maid of honor from hell in “Bride Hard”.
Sam (Wilson) is a member of a spy agency called 5 Eyes, tasked with leading the bridal party for her childhood bestie Betsy (Anna Camp). But Sam is also that member of the wedding party whose reliability comes into question when the other bridesmaids realize she’s not stepping up to the expectations of her bridesmaids’ duties.
Usually playing in the sandbox with the boys in such high-voltage hits as “Con Air,” “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “The Expendables 2,” director Simon West brings a little “Die Hard” action to the comedic sensibilities of “Bridesmaids,” delivering a screwball comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
As a cast member of the juggernaut hit “Bridesmaids,” Wilson brings her off-the-cuff comedic prowess to life, transforming into a butt-kicking machine after training for nine months to take on the physicality required to play Sam realistically. Her backup crew, Anna Chlumsky, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Gigi Zumbado, and her old “Pitch Perfect” buddy Camp make for some laugh-out-loud chuckles as a traveling pack of one-liners. One would expect Justin Hartley to be the knight in shining armor who saves the day. But as a potential love interest turned villain, Harley is more like a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Stephen Dorff is a vexing villain in the Hans Gruber mold, but he’s a little more caustic than menacing. And I loved seeing a woman as the head of the spies in the shape of Sherry Cola, whose dry humor is perfect for Sam’s 5 Eyes cohort Nadine.
The action sequences do not disappoint and are pretty absurd, which is the point of this film. Wilson’s comedic prowess and physicality lend themselves to making her a modern-day Carol Burnett in a scene where she literally throws herself down a chute with Anna Camp riding her like a wave. Or in another moment, where she single-handedly takes on a whole room full of villains, Lara Croft style.
At its core, “Bride Hard” is a film about the evolution of female friendships. Even though Sam and Betsy are at odds, the center of their bond relies on why they became besties in the first place and how those same friendships can unexpectedly save the world… one drop kick and cocktail at a time.
Friendships will undergo a metamorphosis of emotions as women grow older, get married, have children, or choose a life more focused on their career. Your squad is your squad no matter what, and in some instances, it will take shapes and forms that let everyone earn a few life lessons about forgiveness and judgment along the way. “Bride Hard” makes it easy to grab your girls, some snacks (or drinks), and enjoy a little fluffy fun at the cinema.
