Good Luck Chuck

What’s the Story?

Dane Cook, who has somehow transformed from a slightly better-looking standup comedian into the go-to leading man for lowbrow romantic comedies, plays Chuck, a womanizing dentist who's dubbed a good luck charm by the string of married women who dated him right before meeting Mr. Right. With the coaxing of his sex obsessed pal Stu (Dan Fogler) and dozens of willing women, Chuck becomes every single girl's dream one-night stand. The movie's "romantic" storyline is fueled by Jessica Alba as Cam, the one girl Chuck actually doesn't want to lose to the "next guy." But if he seals the deal with her, he's convinced that she'll move on and leave him broken-hearted. Thrown into their supposed chemistry is the fact that Cam is a total klutz who keeps accidentally hurting herself and Chuck, who suffers mild stabbing, electrocution, and bonks on the head when he's around her.

Is It Any Good?

Some comedies manage to balance raunch -- whether it's gratuitous language, sex, drug use, or some combination of the above -- with funny-yet-deeper themes about love (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), commitment (Knocked Up), or friendship (Superbad). But not all copycat comedies can effectively pull off the Judd Apatow formula for filmmaking. And in that case, what the audience is left with, as is the case in GOOD LUCK CHUCK, is just a bunch of offensive sex jokes.

It's all too precious and, frankly, rather unfathomable that Alba -- an actress so beautiful she's been called the sexiest woman in the world -- would have no better prospects than Cook's cad of a dentist. (And those hoping to sneak a peek at Alba's killer bod should note that she's one of the only women in the film who doesn't bare her breasts, although topless women seem to pop up in every other frame of the film.) Ultimately, if the prospect of seeing a woman with three breasts (Dr. Stu's dream girl) or of Cook being mounted by a morbidly obese woman or pretending to get nasty with a stuffed penguin appeals to viewers, this movie will be a hit. Otherwise, this is a sad excuse for a romantic comedy.