A Guy Thing (2003) Reviews

• don't be fooled by bad reviews, this movie is fun, silly, and entertaining

  kcwells2003-08-02

  I just watched this movie for the first time and decided to check out what others thought. I was SOMEWHAT surprised by the 5.3 user rating (what it is at the time I'm writing this), but I was even more surprised by the number of awful reviews people have written for it! Seriously, at least half of them on here are ones saying it is "the worst movie" or some nonsense like that. That is highly untrue. Granted, as with almost every other romantic comedy bar a select few, the plot of this movie isn't the most original ever written. However, this movie is quite fun and entertaining. It was silly and cute, and made me laugh a lot. The acting is all pretty decent, and Jason Lee does an excellent job in his role. I'm not saying this is the best movie ever invented, but it was definitely a fun, cute, funny and entertaining movie that I would recommend to anyone in need of an hour and forty minutes of entertainment. The only thing I hate about the plot (and other movies like this) is that the innocent fiance gets mildly screwed over. I hate when that happens in movies. Poor girl. Haha, anyway, rent this movie for a laugh and a fun time. Enjoy! 6.5/10, 7/10 maybe

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• Silly and weakly plotted but reasonably funny and made more enjoyable by Lee's performance

  bob the moo2003-06-10

  Paul Coleman is a week away from marrying Karen when he wakes up next to a dancer he met at his stag do. He quickly ushers her out of the flat and hopes never to see her again. Sadly it is a matter of hours before he is introduced to her again as Karen's cousin Becky. Paul tries to make it to his wedding day without Karen finding out – an aim that is made more difficult by Becky's crazy ex-boyfriend, overzealous police and the complex web of lies Paul spins to cover himself. On paper this film sounds awful and indeed almost every second of it is teetering on the edge of being an awful romantic comedy that goes just where you expect it to. The plot is simply daft – one contrived set piece after another that is increasingly stretched as the film goes on. It ends in just the way you know it will (despite how much I hoped it wouldn't or failed to see how it could) and it will infuriate many in regards just how silly it is. However it is funny enough to cover the cracks. Much of the humour is instantly recognisable and made up of well known routines (Paul climbing out of the bathroom window) or physical comedy (some pratfalls along the way). Happily there is plenty of slightly off the wall humour that, although not new, is quite good. An example would be the `fantasy sequences' but my favourite bit is Paul sweet memories of a male dance teacher. The whole thing is very silly and you should prepare yourself for that, but it does just about have enough silly laughs to keep it going. For me the number one reason I enjoyed this film was the performance of Jason Lee. At no point does he suggest that this is a serious film, in fact many times a silly scene was saved by the `what the f is going on' look on his face – a hint to us that he is in the film and he can't believe what's happening, so the audience should go with him. For the rest of the time he lends himself really easily to the type of humour and is able to raise the material a bit. He is a good lead here and keeps bits of his `Brody' from Mallrats to good effect. Stiles is awful in my opinion. She doesn't really act and seems to be trying too hard to do `kooky' – it doesn't work. She has so little screentime that I found it very hard to accept that Paul would get anything from her. Blair has a thankless role and she doesn't quite carry it off – like Stiles I felt that she was trying too hard and almost came across as a caricature. Maybe they were both led by Lee's knowing performance and responded in a bad way. Larry Miller is quite funny (but predictable) as the minister next door and Brolin is a surprising find as the father in law. Overall this is a very silly film, based on one daft scene after another that leads to a predictable ending that simply doesn't make sense even using the logic of this type of film. However it is funny and a great performance by Jason Lee makes it more enjoyable than it probably should be.

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• I thought it was funny most of the time

  vchimpanzee2007-04-03

  There were times when this movie was absolutely hilarious. Even if most of the funniest lines and situations involved toilets, STDs, or pornography. I don't recommend this for kids. Paul didn't remind me of Earl Hickey that much of the time, but sometimes his manner of speaking was similar. Paul wasn't that great a character, but he was likable enough. I didn't care for Karen. She wasn't pretty and had an abrasive personality, and then there was that annoying fake smile. Though on the right woman, her haircut could have been cute. Becky, on the other hand, was absolutely adorable. Good-looking with a sweet personality, even if she could get riled when she had to. In the first scene where she showed she had a brain, she was justified in not being the cute chick. I knew what I wanted to happen. There were plenty of good acting performances, considering the material. And while the writing wasn't on an Oscar level, that's not necessary here. It just needed to be funny, which it often was. I had a bad day--in fact, a bad week--prior to the night this movie aired. But the movie made me feel good, at least while I was watching it. That's the most important thing I can say.

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• Rather mediocre romantic story.

  insomniac_rod2009-03-16

  Typical chick flick that should be enjoyed only by teens. There is not much to comment about this effort that could easily pass as a b-movie effort. The plot tries to be different from some other efforts of it's time but to be honest I didn't think it was a genre definer or a movie that should be kept in order to show it to anyone else!. The acting by Julia Stiles is wooden but it helps that she's pretty. Selma Blair is sexy as always but her character didn't help that much. Jason Lee always works for these kind of movies but the plot didn't help him either. So there you go, this is a mildly-entertaining, not clever or witty, but "ok-time killer" for those who enjoy regular almost mediocre romantic comedies. Watch it only if it airs on cable. I did that! I didn't spend a single dollar on it and I'm proud about it.

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• enjoyable movie with refreshing humour

  zeeshaan22006-02-07

  I happened to watch this movie by chance some days ago while flipping channels. My expectations were not very high but it was an interesting movie.In 'A Guy Thing', Jason Lee plays Paul, a straight-laced, Seattle-based fellow who is about to marry his fiancée Karen (Selma Blair) and settle down to an unchallenging life of middle-class domesticity. We first meet Paul at his bachelor party, where he professes no desire to engage in any of the normal bachelor party type activities his (surprisingly few) buddies encourage, in case he's a bit naughty and gets into hot bother with his soon to be trouble and strife. Of course, the next thing Paul knows, it's the morning after the night before, he's in bed with a naked hula dancer, and his mother-in-law phones to inform him that Karen is on her way over. Oh, and the hula dancer is Karen's cousin Becky (Julia Stiles). From this small acorn of potential trouble grows a mighty oak of frenetic misfortune, as Paul scrabbles from misadventure to misadventure, trying to cover up what he's done whilst keeping up the appearance of being a dutiful, family-oriented good guy, who's super-excited about his forthcoming nuptials. His efforts to ensure Karen remains none the wiser about any potential wrong-doing on his part ironically forces Paul closer and closer to the fun-loving Becky, forcing him to question whether he really wants the life that seems to have been mapped out for him. The movie contains the right mix of comedy and romance. Definitely worth a watch.

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