Bride Hard

The concept almost sells itself: “Die Hard” but if Bruce Willis was a bridesmaid. The problem with a concept that almost sells itself is executing a film that fully delivers on it. “Bride Hard” is more concept than delivery, but it is still silly fun.

“Pitch Perfect” series co-stars Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp star as childhood best friends Sam and Betsy. 30 years after Sam moved away (to Australia, apparently, given her accent), and they have remained close, though not been in touch as often as Betsy would like. Now Betsy is engaged, and Sam is her Maid of Honor and in charge of her bachelorette party, which has been moved at the last minute to Paris. Sam has to leave in the middle of the celebration due to her job, which is not, as she tells everyone, a cat show entrepreneur, but a spy.

While Betsy and her other bridesmaids are drinking with the male strippers, Sam has gone rogue. Instead of spying on the bad guy who is receiving a bio-weapon, she goes after him to retrieve it, showing us that she is impulsive, dedicated, fearless, and extremely good at improvising tactics based on what is available. Next stop, the wedding, at a private island off the coast of Georgia. Betsy’s fiancé Ryan (Sam Huntington) is from a very wealthy family and the island is where they have the whisky distillery that has been in the family for hundreds of years. Betsy, disappointed in Sam’s disappearance in Paris, has now made Ryan’s sour sister Virginia (Anna Chlumsky) her Maid of Honor. The other bridesmaids are pregnant Zoe (Gigi Zumbado), here-to-get-laid-and-drunk Lydia (Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the highlight of the movie).

And then the guys with guns arrive, and if this is sounding a bit like Jennifer Lopez’s “Shotgun Wedding” (which, coincidentally, was directed by “Pitch Perfect’s” Jason Moore), you have the right idea.

Kurt (Stephen Dorff) takes everyone hostage, and this gives Sam the chance to save the day. There are moments where the concept comes together, as when Sam uses plugged-in curling irons as nunchucks, and when the bridesmaids join together to give Sam backup. Stephen Dorff gives one of his best performances as the menacing leader of the bad guys. The process for getting what the bad guys came for is dragged out to allow more time for shooting and stunts. That may be a plus for action fans, but I found it slowed the pace of the film. Wilson is game, but her signature understated delivery does not work as effectively in the scenes focusing on the friendship with Betsy, both under strain and still vibrant. What works best is the interaction of the bride and bridesmaids, whether they are getting snockered, annoying each other (Chlumsky is on point as the competitive rich girl), or just engaging. in BFF-iness. As silly as it is, seeing them all come together to support the bride and go after the killers, beats watching the gift opening at a bridal shower.

Parents should know that this film includes extended action-style peril and violence with assault weapons, grenades, explosives, knives, and other weapons. Many supporting characters are killed and a main character is wounded. Characters drink and get tipsy and use strong language. There are crude sexual references, mostly humorous.

Family discussion: What profession would you pick as your cover if you could not tell people what your job was?

If you like this, try: “Shotgun Wedding” and the “Pitch Perfect” movies