After a perfect, fiery first date, the strong attraction between Bea and Ben cools considerably (for a reason that is not shared with the viewer). A year later they find themselves awkward guests at a destination wedding in Sydney. 

Now, I realize that many people who like romantic comedies are not looking for surprises. They’re comfortable with the prefab formula and, as long as the players are pretty, find entertainment and – what? – hope? But you’d think director Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends with Benefits) would at least try, for his own self-respect if nothing else, to do something a bit less punishingly stale. 

The leads in this curiously unromantic rom-com are Sydney Sweeny, who’s bland but not offensively so, and Glen Powell, who’s like a Keanu Reeves without the talent. Powell is spot-on as a privileged frat rat or, as in Top Gun: Maverick, a snide competitor. But in a romantic role, he does a great impersonation of a two-by-four with cut abs. Zero chemistry between the two. And the kicker is that they’re better than the material. 

P.S. The Sydney Opera House is so prominently featured it should get some sort of credit. (103 min)