Review: “When in Rome”

Seen on: January 27, 2010

The players: Director: Mark Steven Johnson, Writers:David Diamond, David Weissman, Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Jon Heder. Dax Shepard, Danny DeVito, Will Arnett

Facts of interest: Johnson also helmed "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider."

The plot: A woman who doesn't believe she can fall in love actually falls in love when she takes a trip to Rome. That's pretty much it.

Our thoughts: Mark Steven Johnson’s “When in Rome” is one of the lamest romantic comedies I have ever seen. Trust me, it is really that bad. It is also yet another great example of how incapable Hollywood is to produce funny films, and even though that’s certainly no breaking news, it still occasionally shocks me to see so much money being wasted on disasters like this one.

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This week's new movie releases - Jan. 29, 2010

Opening this week are Martin Campbell's action thriller "Edge of Darkness" with Mel Gibson and Ray Winstone, and Mark Steven Johnson's "When in Rome" with Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.

EDGE OF DARKNESS (by Martin Campbell, with Mel Gibson)

Synopsis: Thomas Craven is a veteran homicide detective for the Boston Police Department and a single father. When his only child, 24-year-old Emma, is murdered on the steps of his home, everyone assumes that he was the target. But he soon suspects otherwise, and embarks on a mission to find out about his daughter's secret life and her killing.

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Watch Kristen Bell in new 'When in Rome' trailer

Mark Steven Johnson, director of "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider," turns to comedy with "When in Rome," a film starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel, among others. A new trailer for the upcoming flick has just popped up online, and you can give it a shot after the jump.

An ambitious young New Yorker (Bell), disillusioned with romance, takes a whirlwind trip to Rome where she defiantly plucks magic coins from a "foolish" fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of an odd group of suitors: But when a charming reporter (Duhamel) pursues her with equal zest, how will she know if his love is the real thing?

This trailer is longer than most, and it looks quite ridiculous to say the least. Sure, watching Danny DeVito, Will Arnett, Jon Heder and Dax Shepard running after a chick could be funny in theory, but judging by this footage, their obsession with Kristen Bell doesn't look all that refreshing.

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Jon Heder set for 'Buddy Holly Is Alive'

We haven't heard much from Jon Heder recently, but don't worry, he's still in the acting biz. In fact, he's set to star in "Buddy Holly Is Alive and Well on Ganymede."

The film is based on Bradley Denton comic sci-fi novel, and Heder will play Oliver Vale, a geek whose life changes when Buddy Holly shows up everywhere on TV and announces Vale is the only one knowing why this is going on.

Variety reports Robert Rugan, who wrote the script, will direct the film. Heder hasn't done anything awesome since his glorious effort in "Napoleon Dynamite."

One of his more recent films was "Mama's Boy," and boy, did that one stink. He will also appear in Mark Steven Johnson's "When in Rome."