Where I Watched It: Peacock

English Audio Description?: Yes

If you’ve been listening or reading Hollywood journalists, you’ve heard murmurs about the death of the star vehicle, or the bankable actor. The idea that a movie is opened by an actor alone, like how people just used to shw up to see films regardless of what they were about, because the film had their favorite star in them. Somehow, we’ve changed that landscape… yet not entirely.

Ticket To Paradise is that exact thing that shouldn’t exist anymore. It’s a star vehicle created specifically just to merge the chemistry of George Clooney and Julia Roberts, two of the biggest names, whether you buy into a star system or not. It feels like one of those films where the plot was pretty thin, but two pretty people just make it work. And that’s not a bad thing.

For a lot of people, romcom’s are like cinematic comfort food. When they want, they pop on their favorite romcom, with their favorite stars. These are varying titles, but I guarantee for many, there’s a Julia Roberts title in there, and maybe even a George Clooney title. Roberts is the Queen of the Romcom, so adding one more to her list is just icing on her cake. And to be able to spar opposite Clooney, that’s just a bonus.

The film does start out with the two at each others throats, a divorced couple brought together only because they have a daughter. First, she’s graduating, then later, she’s met a guy. So, while Clooney and Roberts jet off to convince their daughter that she’s making a mistake, of course this destination paradise is ripe for the two to reconnect and enjoy each others company.

I’m not ashamed to say this movie put a smile on my face, and a spring in my step. it’s not some staggering work of genius, but it felt like something Hollywood hasn’t made in some time. Sure, Sandra Bullock ran around a similar location earlier this year with The Lost City, but that was way more of an adventure than your typical formula romantic comedy. There’s something so simple here that it just feels like the film is giving you a hug.

Yes, the film has audio description, and I thought it was really cool. First, they’re in this amazing locale, but the guy their daughter (played by Kaitlyn Dever) has fallen for is a seaweed farmer, and to hear the process described of how they collect the seaweed while they do it on camera was rather interesting. i had never really thought about this aspect before, of how we get the seaweed we use, but this makes sense. That was just one of many little details, like a scene where a dolphin jumps Julia Roberts, that just charmed me even more.

Yes, there are better romcoms, but we haven’t had anything close to this in a while. And I’d love to be swept off my feet again in the simplest of star vehicle ways again in the future.

Final Grade: B+