‘You May Not Kiss the Bride’ involves complications, and little more: review

In “You May Not Kiss The Bride,” written and directed by Rob Hedden, a pet photographer (Dave Annable) is strong-armed into marrying the daughter of an Eastern European mobster so she can stay in the United States.

This being an innocuous romantic comedy, the mobster is played by Ken Davitian from “Borat” and the daughter by “Smash” star Katharine McPhee.

After the young couple goes on a South Pacific honeymoon, intended as a show of their true union for immigration officials, they (surprise!) really start to fall for each other. Once she is held for ransom, things get complicated, as the kidnapping reveals a series of double-crosses.

The plotting just ends up feeling like a lot of business, ideas meant to keep the characters busy and in motion rather than actually reflecting anything like human behavior.

The supporting cast is a bizarre roster of familiar faces, including Mena Suvari, Kathy Bates and Vinnie Jones. Somewhere in that mix is Rob Schneider playing an island local named Ernesto. His performance here underscores the fact that Schneider is either a wildly under-recognized comic master or genuinely one of the worst performers of all time.

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“You May Not Kiss The Bride.” MPAA rating: PG-13 for sexual material and references, some rude humor and violence. Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. At AMC Burbank Town Center 8, Burbank.