GOOD LUCK CHUCK (Mark Helfrich). 98 minutes. Opens Friday (September 21). Rating: N
First-time director Mark Helfrich edited 10 movies for director Brett Ratner, including all three Rush Hours, and Showgirls, directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have been first choice to direct a goofball comedy featuring Jessica Alba, who has nothing in her filmography to suggest comedic skills, and Dane Cook, the ex-stand-up who’s sort of a less skilled Ryan Reynolds, who himself is a less edgy Jason Lee.
Of course, I suspect that neither Alba nor Cook was anyone’s first choice either.
Cook plays Chuck, a dentist cursed since childhood: all the women who love him marry the next guy they fall for. Chuck gets a lot of meaningless sex from hot babes who know about the curse. Then he meets Alba’s Cam, who runs the penguin environment at the local aquarium.
Alba does Barrymore’s clumsy/cute shtick, walking into signposts and knocking things over, but she’s not terribly funny doing it. Barrymore or Cameron Diaz could have pulled that off – they’re both clowns. Alba’s mishaps just look painful.
Cook goes for Mister Rom-Com Sincerity, and it fits him like someone else’s shoes.
