Ticket To Paradise - Movie Review

Geroge Clooney and Julia Roberts reunite in Ticket to Paradise.

A romantic comedy starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts would have been commonplace in the late 90s, but in 2022, it comes as more of a pleasant surprise with Ticket to Paradise. Unfortunately, these are the types of movies that don’t get made anymore – at least not for the big screen and starring major movie stars. However, ‘Ticket to Paradise’ is pleasant enough for those who love the genre despite its formulaic approach.

Clooney and Roberts star as David and Georgia Cotton. They are divorced parents who are teaming up to sabotage the wedding of their daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever), to a man she just met in Bali. So naturally, hijinks ensue, and David and Georgia rekindle a romantic spark along the way.

Those familiar with the Ocean’s Trilogy know Clooney and Roberts are no strangers to playing ex-spouses.

The two A-listers have appeared in several films together, so their chemistry is present from the start. You can see them having fun in ‘Ticket to Paradise’ with their endless bickering and attempts to one-up each other. They are veterans of the genre, so they feel comfortable with the material, which isn’t hard to imagine given that 90 percent of the film takes place on the beach.

The story’s actual events are precisely what you would expect from this sort of film. It features ring-stealing, snake bites, dolphin bites, boats floating away, leaving the characters stranded, and the list goes on. Yet, despite these uninspired moments, the film succeeds based on the charisma of its stars.

Kaitlyn Dever is good as their daughter, Lily, but ultimately gets sidelined for many of the films to make way for Clooney and Roberts. In addition, she occasionally gets upstaged by her ‘Booksmart’ co-star, Billie Lourd, who plays the cliché outspoken and extroverted best friend, Wren.

VERDICT

I give Ticket to Paradise 3 out of 5 stars. It is not here to upend the romantic comedy genre and provide something new. Instead, it’s a familiar tread into a genre that we don’t get theatrically released as often these days. It looks pretty and has big movie stars, so what’s not to like? The film is already performing well at the overseas box office. It should offer excellent date night counterprogramming to the superhero blockbuster ‘Black Adam.‘