Chuck and Larry fail to impress the British press

It opened in the US back in July, and now it’s made its way across the pond. Yes, I hate to break the bad news, but I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry has finally been released in the UK.

Rated certificate 12a, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry opened nationwide on September 21st. While it features a great cast, including Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi and Jessica Biel, on reflection, the cast is about the only decent thing it has going for it. So it’s no surprise that reaction to this stale movie has been as unflattering in the UK as it was in the US. (Be sure to read our review for more.)

The Times Online said: “The film-makers behind I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry would probably claim a message of tolerance and personal growth, but this woeful Adam Sandler vehicle is as nasty a piece of sniggering homophobia as (we) have seen in a long time.”

Film bible Empire magazine was equally unimpressed: “With ribald and stale jokes at odds with the slender social message, this wedding piece crashes and burns amid its own hypocrisy.” Whilst Total Film said “Veering between knee-jerk homophobia and PC proselytising for gay rights – often in the same scene – Dennis Dugan’s comedy is an unhappy union.”

The Manchester Evening News thought it was "staggering that I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry should ever see the light of day" and that it was "hard to see the good in a film which revels in the prejudice and ignorance of its small-minded characters."

Here's a synopsis - just in case you're still undecided as to whether this film is worth the price of admission...

A brief synopsis: Firefighters Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) and Larry Valentine (Kevin James) are best buddies. Larry is a widower with two small children, who wants nothing more than to protect his family and make sure his children are provided for. Chuck on the other hand just wants to enjoy single life to the full. Talk about chalk and cheese!

But when civic red tape prevents Larry from naming his own two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries, he comes up with a truly bizarre scheme which involves best buddy Chuck pretending to be his domestic partner. Unfortunately, the plan backfires (shock, horror!) when an overzealous, spot-checking bureaucrat becomes suspicious. And so, in the con to end all cons, Larry and Chuck are forced to improvise and pretend to be love-struck newlyweds.