Katherine Heigl shines in "27 Dresses"

*** out of ****

"27 Dresses" is the new chick-flick of '08, but, guys beware, this is one you can go to and still have a laugh.

We have seen some variation of the formulaic romantic comedy "27 Dresses" countless times. Does it give us any new insight on the subject of marriage? No. Does it offer anything remotely original? No. Does it make an enjoyable comedy? Yes.

Katherine Heigl, of "Gray's Anatomy" and "Knocked Up" fame plays late twentysomething Jane, a hopeless romantic. Jane's life is neat and organized, working as an assistant at an eco-friendly company. Her boss George (Edward Burns) is oblivious that Jane holds a secret love for him. Jane's love life, however, sits on the back burner while acting as her friends' go-to-gal for planning weddings.

Jane is the embodiment of "always a bridesmaid never a bride." She's been one 27 times and counting. Keeping all the dresses crammed into an overflowing closet provides many amusing flashbacks.

At a pre-wedding party for a co-worker, Jane finally works up the nerve to ask George out, but her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) beats her to the punch.

The news gets worse when the manipulative Tess becomes engaged to George, which devastates Jane.

When Tess asks Jane to plan her impromptu wedding, spineless Jane can't say no.

In the meantime, Kevin (James Marsden), writer for the commitments section of The New York Journal, is pessimistic about marriage. Meeting Jane at a wedding, Kevin's persistent for a date, popping up in her daily life after finding Jane's dropped planner.

They eventually start dating, but Jane can't stop being frustrated with planning the wedding of the groom who should have been hers.

Jane also can't stand to see George get hurt, being blinded by Tess' lies and fake persona.

"27 Dresses" is consistently funny throughout. The montage of Jane wearing the 27 dresses is hilarious and the drunken karaoke scene is a highlight of the movie.

Heigl is amusing as Jane and handles the dramatic scenes nicely with plenty of chemistry wtih James Marsden.

Newbie Swedish actress Malin Akerman ("The Heartbreak Kid") wasn't exaggerated enough for most of her scenes, causing them to be somewhat lackluster.

Edward Burns is suitable as George, but acts too aloof throughout the movie.

Judy Greer, who plays Jane's co-worker and best friend Casey, provides comic relief.

In her second attempt at directing after the hit "Step Up," Anne Fletcher, a long time choreographer, paces the film well with drama and comedy in the mix.

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada") wrote the witty screenplay. Unlike most romantic comedies, the script is believable without relying on unrealistic coincidences.

In a sea of cute date movies, "27 Dresses" is certainly engaging (no pun intended).

An "Enchanting" Tale

***1/2 out of ****

"Enchanted" is a classic Disney fairytale from the moment Julie Andrews begins narrating with the line "Once upon a time" to the closing "happily ever after."

A sugary-sweet family treat, "Enchanted" begins as a cartoon in the land of Andalasia, where people break out in song, animals do daily chores, and an evil queen rules the land.

The story starts with Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who's in fear of losing her royal throne if her stepson, Prince Edward (James Marsden), marries. Edward's "friend," Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) is in on the Queen's plan of thwarting Edward's attempts at love.

While hunting for ogres in the woods, Edward hears a woman singing. The woman is Giselle (Amy Adams), a mash-up of every classic Disney princess. She is so jovial that she can't stop dreaming, smiling or singing to her animal friends. When they meet, it is love at first sight and quickly they are off to marry.

Determined to foil the wedding, Narissa, similar to the queen in "Snow White," transforms herself into an old hag, luring Giselle to a wishing well. But before Giselle has a chance to make a wish, Narissa pushes her down the well, only for Giselle to find herself in a new world. Ours.
Narissa's plan isn't without flaw, though, as Giselle's smart-alecky chipmunk friend, Pip (Jeff Bennett/Kevin Lima) sees it all take place.

Turning now into a live-action film, we see Giselle crawl out of a manhole in New York City.
Frazzled, confused, yet still extremely optimistic, Giselle hustles and bustles her way through the city in her full-flowing princess gown to find her way home with amusing outcomes.

It isn't until she is mugged and wandering through the rain that she meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a divorce lawyer who's, ironically, a divorcee himself on the verge of engagement to another woman, Nancy (Idina Menzel). Robert's young daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) convinces her reluctant father into taking Giselle in for the night.

While Morgan believes Giselle is a real princess, Robert doesn't believe in this fairy tale until he sees his home being cleaned by rats, pigeons and fleas -- the New York version of woodland creatures.

Back in the cartoon world Andalasia, Pip the chipmunk tells Edward and Nathaniel of Giselle's fate, and they too go down the well and through the manhole arriving in New York City.

The dashing but dimwitted Prince Edward wanders around the city to rescue Giselle. This is where the adventures begin with many laugh-out-loud sequences. Nathaniel adds to the comedy while in cahoots with the Queen to thwart the Prince along the way.

Harkening back to classic Disney cartoons, director Kevin Lima ("Tarzan"), keeps a whimisically brisk pace during the 107 minute running time.

Set to Bill Kelly's ("Premonition," "Blast from the Past") clever screenplay, "Enchanted" pokes fun at fairytales, which is a comedic pleasure for both kids and adults. The script loses steam during the finale, opting for a semi-entertaining CGI extravaganza.

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Junebug," Amy Adams could get her second nomination here, playing the role with bubbly charisma. Adams elevates her role, and the movie, as a few great actresses can.

With a heart-warming message, hilarious songs, and something for everyone, "Enchanted" is nothing short of enchanting.