'Ticket to Paradise' review: Julia Roberts, George Clooney's iffy trip - USA TODAY

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Signs that times have changed are all around us, but a Julia Roberts romantic comedy has always implied a certain amount of quality. Nostalgia, however, is a fickle mistress, and her latest, “Ticket to Paradise,” is no “Notting Hill.” It’s not even a “Larry Crowne.”

Directed by Ol Parker (“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”), “Paradise” (★★ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters Friday) reteams A-list “Ocean’s 11” stars Roberts with George Clooney as a pair of bickering exes out to break up their daughter’s wedding before she makes the same mistakes they did. The only errors in sight, though, are in the rom-com itself, a mediocre effort that’s pleasantly beachy, fitfully funny and a waste of its famous leads' hefty chemistry.

David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) have been divorced for years after getting hitched right out of college. Their marriage fell apart soon after the birth of their only daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever).  Anytime they're near each other, they’re leveling verbal haymakers, even at Lily’s graduation.

Lily and her best friend Wren (mercurial wunderkind Billie Lourd) head off to Bali for a holiday before Lily starts her job at a high-end law firm. One night, Lily meets and falls for seaweed farmer Gede (Maxime Bouttier) and, 37 days later, she emails her parents that she’s getting married in paradise. David and Georgia – whose clingy French pilot boyfriend Paul (Lucas Bravo) is on their flight – travel to the big event and have four days to break up the youngsters. Predictable shenanigans ensue, from snake bites to accidental hookups, as the parents cause chaos yet also start to see that their kid has found love (and they might be rekindling some sparks themselves).

Some moments really work when the film reminds you that Clooney and Roberts still are Movie Stars: A round of drunken beer pong leads to the middle-aged pair’s “dinosaur” dance moves, set to “Jump Around” and a couple of other retro jams. (Clooney harnesses serious dad energy doing the Cabbage Patch.) But those scenes are fleeting, and David and Georgia’s dynamic – inexplicably going from hateful sniping to playful flirting – feels forced and far-fetched. Adding Paul into the mix as a bumbling oaf (and not even a particularly lovable one) creates an unnecessary love triangle.

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You don’t see enough of David and Georgia’s relationship for it to make sense, and the same goes for Lily and Gede, so the whole premise is wobbly. The rom-com also brings up the Balinese traditions and culture of Gede’s family, but rather than exploring it or creating a bond between moms and dads, their main function is to make obvious comments about David and Georgia in a language the Americans don’t understand. 

Folks, this is "Paradise" lost: The movie at times wants to be mean-spirited (especially early on with its two Hollywood legends) yet doesn't have the heart to stick to it, and it's not clever or funny enough to be an enjoyably lighthearted romp about second chances. And this familiar throwback, coming on the heels of  "Bros," just makes that hilarious gay romance feel even more remarkably nuanced in comparison.

One doesn't put Roberts and Clooney together on screen without conjuring at least a little magic. But  dusting off an old copy of her "America's Sweethearts" or his "One Fine Day" is more likely to scratch that rom-com itch.

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2022-10-19 15:22:56Z

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