When I read the description of the movie Bride Hard, I was hopeful for a funny movie with two actresses that have a record of comedy films. Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp were great in Pitch Perfect. After watching the movie, I found the action scenes ridiculously funny but the film was a bit too predictable with acting that was over the top. 

Bride Hard is an action comedy film directed by Simon West and written by Shaina Steinberg. In the story, Sam (Rebel Wilson) and her best friend Betsy (Anna Camp) were separated when Sam had to move away. Now, Betsy is getting married and Sam is her maid of honor. The problem is that Sam is also a secret agent and her missions have gotten in the way of her participating in the wedding preparations causing friction between the two friends. She takes time away from the agency but trouble finds her when Betsy’s lavish wedding is taken hostage by mercenaries. With the help of Betsy and the other bridesmaids, Sam must find a way to save everyone’s lives. Anna Chlumsky plays Virginia, Betsy’s soon to be sister-in-law, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Lydia and Gigi Zumbado as Chloe, Betsy’s other two bridesmaids. Sam Huntington plays Ryan, Betsy’s fiance and Justin Hartley his best man Chris. Sherry Cola plays Nadine, Sam’s contact with the agency. Stephen Dorff plays Kurt, the head of the mercenaries.

One of the elements I liked the best was the sheer ridiculous fun that Rebel Wilson appears to be having in her action scenes. Not only did I enjoy her ability to be a believable action star but the way the character takes out the bad guys is ridiculously funny, using a curling iron, flour as an explosive and various other unexpected items during her fights. I also found the interactions between her and the bad guys hilarious. The friendship between Sam and Betsy is fraught with emotion but also funny moments as well as when Betsy is drunk at her bridal party. I also like that Betsy has her own skills and was able to help Sam in saving everyone. I love the antics that Sam gets up to in her efforts to save the wedding guests.

Rebel Wilson is genuinely charismatic as Sam. Her character is a bit of a loner and has to learn to let others help. Rebel Wilson manages to show that her character is tough but also infuses hints of vulnerability, especially when she is trying to reconnect with Betsy. There is a great dynamic between her and Anna Camp, which makes sense with the pair having worked together before. Anna Camp is bright and cheerful as Betsy, loving and funny. She is especially good when she is working with Rebel Wilson. Anna Chlumsky as Virginia, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Lydia and Gigi Zumbado as Chloe are all wonderfully vibrant and funny in their own roles. Justin Hartley is charming and hilarious as is Sam Huntington. Stephen Dorff is over the top as the head of the mercenaries and Sherry Cola is witty and fun.

What is problematic in the movie is that it is too predictable by far. From the very beginning, Rebel Wilson as Sam is set up to be the hero and you know right from the start who is the spy for the mercenaries. There are no real surprises. The movie is funny but it isn’t hard to guess the outcome of the film. In addition, Stephen Dorff is way too over the top in his performance and most of the characters have very little development beyond their jokes. Except for Sam and Betsy, most of the rest of the cast doesn’t get much background, including Sherry Cola who’s part in the movie feels like a waste of her talents.

If you like funny movies, this does have some ridiculously funny action scenes and I laughed at Rebel Wilson. Even though a few of the performances are over the top and I would have liked more character development, I still found the characters funny and the premise made me laugh. Anna Camp and Rebel Wilson are excellent together, especially when they join forces to take out the mercenaries. If you like both actresses, you will likely love this movie and enjoy it for it’s campy fun quality. 

Rating: 3.5 bouquets out of 5. 

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