Samoan Wedding is a feel good comedy about four thirty something men finally coming of age.
By Austin Davidson

Samoan Wedding is a feel good comedy about four thirty something men finally coming of age. Like other classic ”Don’t wanna grow up” style movies, Samoan Wedding deals with the trappings of adulthood and how ultimately we must accept responsibility in order to develop as people.  The Duck Rockers are a gang stuck in the old days of carelessness and freedom.  “Duck Rockers” being an incorrigible gang of four Samoan cronies in Auckland, New Zealand who like to drink, womanize, and have a good time.  Albert has the cush job, but his closest female companion is his mother due to his extreme shyness.  Michael has an insatiable lust for white women who only want him for a good time.  Sefa has a beautiful girlfriend he constantly takes for granted.  Stanley is flashy and uninhibited, but only within the anonymous world of phone chat lines. 

After years of infamous wedding crashes, the local priest bans the cronies from the next big ceremony, which just happens to be Michael’s brother’s big day.  The priest decrees that the boys can only gain entrance to the wedding if they are able to find a suitable date for the occasion.  Along the way all four men will have a wacky and predictable time as they learn to grow up.  Sefa must learn the ropes of true commitment, Michael broadens his horizons with the opposite sex, Albert has to grow a pair and confront his bashfulness, and Stanley must start talking to women outside of anonymous dating hotlines.

There are a few glimpses into Samoan culture here but not enough to justify the story’s setting or characters.  On the surface it is a lighthearted romantic comedy but below that surface is very little meat and bones to keep the story from becoming one of hundreds that deal with the same trite subject matter.  Had it delved deeper into the Polynesian society the film could have created richer moments and a nice glimpse into a different culture and way of life that hasn’t had much screen time in the past. 

Director Chris Graham, notable in his homeland of New Zealand for his work in music videos, infuses the film with a glossy hip-hop aesthetic that only manages to erect a big plastic wall between the characters and the audience.  The characters all shine in their own loveable ways, the story has a lot of heart, but the characters seem trapped in the standard coming of age cookie cutter. 

The film is a feel gooder but one that is so light that it will be gone from your memory shortly after leaving the theater.  A light snack is good once in a while, but ultimately forgettable.  

Samoan Wedding is unrated and open on Friday, December 1