Stars Fell on Alabama

For romcom fans, this might feel like a knockoff; you may have to remind yourself that it's not Sweet Home Alabama, that Hanna isn't Kate Hudson, and that Maslow isn't Adam Levine. It all looks familiar, but it's not nearly as good as stalwarts of the genre. That said, it's not awful, either. And for some teens, it may feel like an evolution of their childhood, since Hanna and Maslow are both former Nickelodeon stars (she used to be the Yellow Power Ranger, and he was the face of Big Time Rush). Now they're are all grown up, and while the idea of attending a 15-year high school reunion may not be totally relatable to kids, the content of the story mostly feels like the stuff of Nick at Nite. The language is clean, there's no real violence, and even the innuendo is fairly scrubbed. Heck, when everyone sneaks out to skinny dip, most of the underwear seen looks like swimsuits (in fact, one woman somehow does have on a swimsuit -- we can only assume she knew where the evening would end up?).

Nothing is especially original here, but sometimes, a tried-and-true formula works just fine. And for a new generation of romantic comedy viewers, "same old, same old" can feel new. Line dancing scenes have been around since Footloose, but Stars Fell on Alabama's all-country soundtrack is likely to be appreciated by many viewers (though kids may not recognize American Idol 2006 winner Taylor Hicks covering the All-American Rejects' 2008 single "Gives You Hell"). The movie feels targeted at the oldest members of Gen Z and the youngest millennials, but with characters who are familiar high school types, there's just enough here to entertain, whether you live in an urban high-rise or a rural farmhouse.