Chasing Papi (2003)
7/10
Silly and contrived, but lots of fun
5 September 2003
The movie was obviously attempting to be like one of the classic screwball romantic comedies. It succeeds in the style, but not exactly the comedy. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs, but it could've been a lot funnier. I blame part of the failed comic attempts on the writing and part on the actors. They should've just filmed the movie in Spanish. Some of the Hispanic actors really seemed to struggle with the English dialogue. In comedy, it's all about timing, so the expression of the dialogue must be on target. I give the actors points for effort, but all that hard work could've been spared if they spoke in their native language.

I think what mainly makes the film work for me is the fast pace. Despite how silly each situation is, the pace is fast enough to prevent you from dwelling on the silliness. Plus, seeing three beautiful Latina women strut their stuff throughout doesn't hurt either. I saw Sofia Vergara before in "Big Trouble," but she looks different in the movie and I might not have remembered from that previous film because well...I'm trying not to remember it period. It was one of the worst comedies I've ever seen! "Chasing Papi" gives her a much better outlet for her talent. She has got to be THE most beautiful women I've ever seen! Whenever I see her on screen, I feel like Jim Carrey in "The Mask" when he was watching Cameron Diaz do that musical number. If my jaw could literally drop like his character, that would be my exact reaction. I mean, she makes Roselyn Sanchez pale in comparison, and saying a hell of a lot.

All I can say is the film is a lot of fun. I'm surprised by the extremely low rating. And by the way, Paul Rodriguez has a funny cameo, playing similar to the Michael Caine role in "Miss Congeniality."

My score: 7 (out of 10)
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