Movie Review: Ticket to Paradise

Even though Ticket to Paradise may play like pages from its script were ripped right out of the romantic comedy playbook – even to the point of featuring subtle callbacks to fare like the recent unfortunate remake of Overboard to other, more consequential outings of the genre, like Pretty Woman – the tandem of Julia Roberts and George Clooney somehow manages to elevate the film above being just a mediocre offering to something slightly more endearing and entertaining.

In the film, Clooney and Roberts play exes David and Georgia who are on a joint mission to stop their recently college-graduated daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever), from marrying someone she just met on vacation in Bali, Gede (Maxime Bouttier), and throwing away her future as a lawyer. But, of course, they must pretend to go along with the nuptials until they can successfully sabotage the wedding and bring their lovestruck daughter home.

While not especially memorable for anything original occurring within it, the film plays like a welcome story from a beloved book that feels comfortable more than anything else. That is not to say that there is anything overtly bad about the film. It is, in fact, a solid addition to the romantic comedy genre. The problem is that it feels as though it has all been seen before and there is nothing incredibly original going on here.

George Clooney and Julia Roberts in “Ticket to Paradise.” Photo by Universal Pictures – © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

However, the fact that all involved seem to be having a good time making the film seeps through and eventually carries the audience along for the ride as well. Director Ol Parker, working from a script by Daniel Pipski based on Parker’s story, seems in on the fact that the stars and their interaction with each other will make or break the film and allows them and the location to carry the momentum of the story from beginning to end.

While it may not soar to the highest levels of the romantic comedy genre, Ticket to Paradise does entertain for a generous portion of its running time thanks to the work of its leading actors and the fun that everyone involved seems to be having as well.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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