Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Ticket to Paradise review says if Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Bali can’t save the great American romcom, nothing can.

We all know the American romcom is in trouble. Movies about boy (or girl) meets girl, boy loses girl (or guy), boy or girl get girl or guy back, just don’t fill movie seats like they used to. They don’t even entice streaming service subscribers as they have in the past.

So what’s a romantic movie maker to do? Cast a romcom queen and a beaming box office beau to reignite the spark? Sure, why not? Put Julia Roberts and George Clooney together in Bali (or an Australian facsimile thereof) under the direction of Ol Parker of Best Exotic Marigold Hotel fame, and see what happens.

I’m happy to report that together they just manage to pull off a romcom coup—the wattage from the stars’ charm alone could melt Vladimir Putin’s icy heart. It’s enough to overcome a weak and predictable plot.

The story is simple:

Clooney and Roberts play a divorced couple who can’t stand the sight of each other. Suddenly they’re thrown together to try to convince their daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) not to marry the dazzlingly handsome seaweed farmer she met on a graduation trip to Bali.

In all fairness to the obtrusive parents, would you want your son or daughter to marry anyone they’d met on an exotic vacation after a six week courtship? I think not. You too would be on the first plane out to see what’s going on and stop the madness.

So we can all sympathize with, endure and anticipate what follows—you can spot the eventual outcome and everything in between a mile away. But that’s okay. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable journey.

What I didn’t see coming was how Clooney so effortlessly outshined Roberts.

This is not entirely Clooney’s fault, however, even though he radiates infinite appeal. I’m going to blame it on Roberts’  hair, makeup, lighting and wardrobe people. It would appear they have some sort of vendetta against her.

There are moments when even Roberts’ radiant smile lacks wattage—there are plenty of ways to fix that with lighting and makeup. And her odd island wardrobe full of ill-fitting jumpsuits is a crime against the otherwise stylish star.

Still, there are some lovely and amusing moments in Ticket to Paradise that will warm and entertain you like a good romcom should. In the end, I really enjoyed it, and I think you will too.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 44 Minutes

If this Ticket to Paradise review, makes you want to rush out and buy a ticket to the cineplex book it on Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Ticket to Paradise review says if Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Bali can’t save the great American romcom, nothing can.