Isn't It Romantic follows Natalie (Rebel Wilson) an architect whose grown incredibly cynical of her romantic life, and moreover, romantic comedies. Her friends, Whitney (Betty Gilpin) and Josh (Adam DeVine) try to lift her spirits and ask her to take more chances. This happens to backfire on her as she is knocked unconscious and transported into the world of rom-coms. Corny music follows her around, she has a gay best friend out of the blue and even Blake (Liam Hemsworth), her client that previously treated her like dirt now finds her quite beguiling. Unable to deal with the saccharine madness, Natalie tries her best to get back to reality.
Subversion is one of those concepts that appears so often yet never really feels outdated. So much of the best media out there deals with challenging a set of established values for how truly valuable they are. Though it doesn't always have to be so high stakes as to criticize deep-rooted social constructs or systemic problems. Sometimes, it's just going against genre stereotypes. There's a group of works out there that tend to get the approval of the haters of the genre that they take on. Usually it's because they both play into what frustrates those who are against the genre but also sneak in what makes the genre stand out in a meaningful manner. Animated movies getting too cutesy and Disney for you? Shrek adds some snark to the fairy tale. Super hero movies a little too by-the-book? Deadpool spins the formula around. Hate how campy musicals are? Chicago makes it racy. Isn't It Romantic seems to be wanting to court the anti-rom-com crowd. I don't quite consider myself as fervent in my hatred of them as other people do but I am a man, and it's in our DNA to just not be fond of them. But I'm willing to be wooed by a subversive take on it.
Usually on movies of this nature, there is a need to emphasize the stupidity of the genre's cliches either implicitly or explicitly. Shrek tends to have wonderful subtle instances of this, as most every character has a certain lack of grace that isn't befit of their fantastical origins. Deadpool is more blunt in its approach, with Deadpool being incredibly cocky of just how much he can get away with that other superhero films can't, especially with the addition of the R rating. Isn't It Romantic is a bit too eager in spelling out the conventions it's mocking, as there is rarely a moment where the film doesn't heckle itself on how unrealistic rom-coms are. For a few instances, the joke lands its punch when Natalie is brought into the rom-com alternate reality as the contrast between its sincerity and her cynicism play off each other well. In other instances however, it's about as fun as bringing a friend with your partner to hang out where they're clearly acting like an annoyed third wheel.
Obvious comedy in movies that subvert genres isn't a problem in itself. Sometimes being over-the-top in the absurdity of the conventions is fun, but such needs to be paced properly. Moreover, it needs suitable context that isn't quite as blunt as the jokes made at the genre's expense. Build-up in a subversive movie not only wins over the haters with how well it mocks conventions but also provides the heart that the genre has at its core. Much of Isn't It Romantic's premise plays on how rom-coms deliver unrealistic and toxic expectations to women. Women like Natalie aren't as represented in them as much, the dynamics within them tend to glorify romantic recklessness and it gets far too silly with how flaming the gays are in it. But there isn't a proper build-up to Natalie obtaining resentment against rom-coms; she's just told by her mother she'll never fall in love with a hunk as a child and it cuts to her all grown up and single. Neither are the dynamics that Natalie has with others in the rom-com world explored beyond her innate need to return back to reality.
The worst instance of Isn't It Romantic providing little set-up for its payoffs is in regards to who Natalie should be in love with. It acknowledges that her being with Blake is superficial as he's just her wet dream - a rich hunk that will wait on her hand and foot (which it turns out is not really the case). So naturally there needs to be another of whom she must fall in love with, but there's quite little that supports this new relationship. The movie is aware that it didn't properly explain itself there and tries harder to push it by having some dialogue that every screenwriter teacher would bang their head against a wall with "show don't tell" written on it. But even with this flimsy excuse, it tries to have a twist on the revelation, which makes sense generally speaking but isn't properly evoked through the presentation.
Story-wise, it's on par with rom-coms in being mediocre at best, which would work to its advantage were it not for the reason that its mediocrity is not due to the genre's conventions but in its inability to make a compelling story in deconstructing them. Most of the performances are cardboard cutouts with only Rebel Wilson standing out for how much she seems to fight with her role. I certainly enjoyed some of the cheap shots made at the expense of rom-coms and the karaoke scene was kind of delightful in being one of the only instances where the movie really has fun with itself, but I can't say it won me over. Perhaps I misunderstood it and it was more meant as a film for rom-com fans to have a little bit of a self-deprecating laugh at, but I would think that they would find it a bit too lifeless for their tastes.
Overall, Isn't It Romantic feels like an unsuccessful round of speed-dating. You're just going through so many people and cycling through the same few topics to get some small talk going. Then you finally meet someone that you almost get to liking but they get distracted texting with their phone far too often that by the time you almost feel like something more might happen, you're already heading out with nothing more to go by. It's a shame that there wasn't more that could ignite that special spark.
