Have liked Niall Matter and Rachel Boston, both Hallmark regulars, in other things. Was less sure of the premise, which was another one that could go either way of charming and fun or contrived and dumb, was really hoping it would be the former and Hallmark have made unappealing premises work. Was also not crazy about most of the 2016 June Wedding Hallmark films, with the best one by far being 'Wedding Bells' (the only one this reviewer liked to be honest). So expectations were not high.
Also regrettably did not have a particularly high opinion of 'Stop the Wedding'. It is another film that does little to make the premise more appealing, though it does start off quite well and has some amusing moments, and have also seen better performances from Matter and particularly Boston. 'Stop the Wedding' is not a terrible film and is much better than 'The Convenient Groom' and especially 'Ms Matched' (really disliked both those films), but 'Wedding Bells' it is not.
It does have good things. Although Matter has been better elsewhere with more likeable characters, he still comes off quite well and does well not overplaying or going through the motions (not an easy thing to achieve with the type of character he has). Alan Thicke was quite fun and makes the most of what he is given to work with.
Did also think that 'Stop the Wedding' started with some promise, with some easy going charm and amusement. It is pleasingly filmed with a nice setting and didn't have a problem with the film musically either, other Hallmark films have fared far worse in this aspect.
'Stop the Wedding' has a number of debits. Boston badly overacts with too many exaggerated mannerisms and some very shouty line delivery. Also really didn't like her character, who comes over as really selfish and at times whiny, and she and Matter never seem at ease together, with their chemistry too strained and at times trying too hard for laughs. Their relationship is very implausibly rushed very early on, which badly undoes the film, with too much of a known each other for years vibe almost instantaneously when it was obvious that it was meant to really the opposite.
The story is very messy and erratically paced, after a promising start too many developments are rushed, leaving things far fetched and confused, and then halfway through the plotting thinned out. It also became increasingly predictable and became little more than a mundane cobbling together of typical Hallmark cliches and very forced and try too hard wacky humour that has been seen before. The dialogue is awkward and cheesy, especially in the comedic moments later on, and motivations are left very vague or extreme (both in the case of the reasoning for the wedding stopping).
Concluding, watchable but tries too hard. 5/10.
