A splendid marketing campaign made this film one of the fall movies I most wanted to see. Sadly, “Good Luck Chuck” was not able to live up to the hype. Putting together the naturally gifted, up and coming comedian Dane Cook (“Employee of the Month”) and the current It movie heroine Jessica Alba (“Into the Blue”) in a romantic comedy - what could go wrong? What did go wrong, was a good premise but a script short on laughs. The Farrelly brothers and Judd Apatow have learned gross out and dirty sexual humor still works, creating a resurgence in R-rated comedies. “Good Luck Chuck” has plenty of these adult situations, it’s the laughs that are lacking.
Cook is Charlie, a dentist who is likeable and attractive, and stuck in the dating scene. He has no problem finding women to date, but is unable to move on to the next step of finding someone to commit to. Charlie learns there is a legend going around women’s social circles, that if someone sleeps with him, they will find the man of their dreams - after they dump Charlie. Charlie meets Cam (Alba) at the wedding of one of his recent ex-girlfriends, and is instantly intrigued by her. Cam is a penguin habitat scientist, who works at the local aquarium. She is a klutz - a walking danger zone - who will often embarrass herself by knocking over a table or losing her skirt in a car door. The attraction between these two is there, but will they take a chance on a new relationship, with their past of disasters?
Both the main characters and the actors who play them, are likeable and appealing in their roles. Cook is charming as Chuck, and has some good lines and jokes, mostly playing off his sex-obsessed friend, Stu. Cook is making the best of the dialogue he is given, which is lackluster. Stu, a doctor who specializes in augmenting breasts, is given most of the gross out humor in the story. This supporting character isn’t particularly that funny, and not able to mine much humor from the repulsive things he says. Overall, the supporting characters are bland, with Chuck and Cam far outshining anyone else in the story.
Alba has the best part in the story, playing to the physicality of the role. Watching her run into things while in mid-sentence and almost electrocute Chuck, makes for the most humorous moments. Alba doesn’t lose her likeability or sweetness by doing the physical comedy, giving award-winning smiles as she recovers from her latest mishap. Alba creates a great character, sadly its in a humdrum, easily forgettable comedy.
For the most part, the punch lines in the story miss rather than hit. There is some heat between Chuck and Cam, and some heart wrenching moments when things may not work out. The underlying story is a decent one, but it plays a little too dirty without the jokes to justify it. Trying to be both a sweet date movie and an adult comedy, “Good Luck Chuck” has no luck in becoming a hit in either.
Rated R for sequences of strong sexual content including crude dialogue, nudity, language and some drug use
