David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) are a divorced couple, and even after years have passed, they still can’t stand to be in each other’s presence without starting a debate or rehashing their past as a married couple. The one thing that forces them to see each other is their only daughter, Lily (Kaitlyn Dever). When Lily graduates, both David and Georgia are forced to sit next to each other, and even then, they try to play nice for the sake of their daughter, but things never seem to end peacefully.
Once Lily graduates, she spends her holiday with her best friend and travels to Bali. However, while Lily stays in Bali, she meets the man of her dreams named Gede (Maxime Bouttier), and soon, Lily gets proposed to. When David and Georgia receive word of this, they are outraged, claiming that their daughter is making a big mistake as they both did. Now, David and Georgia are on a mission to travel to Bali and talk some sense into their daughter. Like a Trojan Horse, they will stop at nothing, even sabotaging the wedding. Will the pair be able to stop Lilly from making a mistake like they once did, or will David and Georgia rediscover the magic of true happiness?
As you might expect, Ticket to Paradise is a good rom-com filled with many gags and moments that come across as cute and charming. The film’s biggest praise is the performances of George Clooney and Julia Roberts. The pair once again share a wonderfully dynamic screen presence. The dialogue they share is always fun, witty and fast-paced, just as if they are always frustrated with each other. Actor George Clooney shines a little brighter for me throughout the film as his character tackles more heartfelt moments. Not only does he have to deal with his monstrous ex-wife, but he is dealing with his little girl. George Clooney manages to pull out the laughs with his snappy one-liners and even his facial reactions, including being dumbfounded or annoying. His character put a cheeky grin on my face.
Despite the story and concept being nothing new, especially if viewers compare it to many films from the ’90s (e.g., That Old Feeling from 1997), while the main storyline seems predictable and some gags feel cliche, I still found it highly entertaining due to the leads. Credit where credit is due, it does attempt to have some new ingredients, including the main reason why David and Georgia broke up in the first place. As for negatives, there are only a few that some audiences will hang on to. Apart from the familiar storyline, some side characters have more screen time than I prefer, mostly because they are that cliché, silly person most romantic comedies have. I had hoped that we were passed this in modern movies.
The location is truly stunning. While the film is set in Bali, I’m proud to say this film was made in my home state of Queensland, Australia. While I’m not normally biased about this kind of trivia, I can’t deny how stunning and amazing this film looks. Stunning beaches and locations all look incredible on the big screen, and I’m proud to see how successful they were at making the location look like Bali. The same could be said about the background cast, who are also fitting and believable.
Overall, with a familiar concept and premise, I’m excited to say how much I still enjoyed this 90s-feeling rom-com. What makes this film cute and charming are the leads played by George Clooney and Julia Roberts, who once again bring a fun, witty, likeable and enjoyable presence to the screen. Visually, this film is incredible as we witness Queensland, Australia, transformed into Bali, all of which is extremely convincing. Sure, there are some cliché aspects to this film, such as silly side characters who are given far too much screen time for laughs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the heart of this film, and it most certainly exceeded my original expectations going into it.
7.0/10
15th September 2022
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
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