Put together the average guy movie and a typical romantic comedy and you have “Good Luck Chuck,” a movie that surprisingly appeals to both demographics. Throw in some nudity, and it is a winner.
The keys to the movie’s universality are the two stars, Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. Cook is Charlie, the heavily testosterone-driven male on a quest to break his supposed curse that permits him from ever finding love since every girl he sleeps with then goes on to find her real true love.
By Vanessa Kolberg,
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Put together the average guy movie and a typical romantic comedy and you have “Good Luck Chuck,” a movie that surprisingly appeals to both demographics. Throw in some nudity, and it is a winner.
The keys to the movie’s universality are the two stars, Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. Cook is Charlie, the heavily testosterone-driven male on a quest to break his supposed curse that permits him from ever finding love since every girl he sleeps with then goes on to find her real true love.
Alba plays Cam, Charlie’s latest love interest whom he is trying desperately not to lose to his curse.
Cam is extremely clumsy, as reinforced several times throughout the movie by random falls and slips.
Although physically funny, her unfortunate accidents do little to move along the plot, but serve as gags for the audience to laugh at when they are not either oogling or being shocked by all the topless scenes as Charlie attempts to break his curse. (Think “Wedding Crashers,” but worse.)
One hitch in the movie is Stu (played by Dan Fogler) – the typical annoying, rude, obnoxious best friend that girls don’t want their boyfriends to have.
Instead of being the straight-man to Cook’s usual style of comedy, Fogler’s character is more crude than funny, adding to the stereotype that boys-will-be-boys and never outgrow their frat house style of humor, regardless of age.
To heighten the level of guy humor, Stu is a plastic surgeon specializing in cosmetic surgery, so most of his jokes revolve around the same subject.
All is not lost for the characters however. Charlie and Cam of course find what they want despite the pseudo-curse, giving that “Aw” factor of the romantic comedy.
Plus guys get yet another chance to see Jessica Alba.