Movie critics seem to have their claws out this week as reviews for the two newest movies to hit the box office have received sub-par ratings. To see why Mike Boylan disagrees with critics about “Speed Racer,” check out his column. To see why I disagree with critics about “What Happens in Vegas,” keep reading.

“What Happens in Vegas” is about an uptight woman, Joy (Cameron Diaz), who has just been dumped by her fiance and a slacker guy, Jack (Ashton Kutcher), who has just been fired from his job by his boss, who also happens to be his father. The pair, both from the Big Apple, meet while blowing off steam in Las Vegas. A night of debauchery ends with a sloppy, Little White Chapel wedding and a marriage between the two, who seemingly couldn’t be more different.

Jack and Joy readily agree the following morning that an annulment would be best – that is until Jack wins a $3 million jackpot on a slot machine using Joy’s quarter. The newlyweds file for an annulment, each seeking the jackpot as part of the court proceedings, but the judge decides they need to be taught a lesson. So, he freezes the winnings, and orders them to “six months of hard marriage.”

With the help of their respective best friends, Joy’s wisecracking best friend Tipper and Jack’s lawyer/halfwit friend Hater, they separately come to the conclusion that, if only they can run the other one out, they can keep all the money.

A series of failed attempts to catch the other in contempt of court ensues, and not surprisingly, it all ends happily.

So why is it that I really enjoyed “What Happens in Vegas” while other critics panned it? Well, I think my expectations were different, for starters. Movies of the romantic comedy genre need to be judged with a less critical eye than other genres – like dramas, for example. For me, “What Happens in Vegas” was entertaining, it kept me laughing out loud and I left with the idea of seeing it again. To me, that screams winner in this age of mildly amusing spoof movies being passed off as comedies.

I’m not a particularly big fan of either Diaz or Kutcher, but I found myself really liking both of them in this film. Even better are supporting actors Rob Corddry and Lake Bell, who play the comical supporting roles.

The film is written by Dana Fox, who also wrote the screenplay for “The Wedding Date,” a movie I really liked, so know that “What Happens in Vegas” falls into a similar category. This one has a little more humor aimed at guys, so it’s a perfectly good date movie. Simply stated, “What Happens in Vegas” is a really good marriage between comedy and romance.

Sure the storyline may be lacking in originality, but what mainstream movies aren’t these days? Only those in a very elite group. So, get over the fact that it borrows ideas from other films or that there are no real surprises in the story. That’s not what “What Happens in Vegas” is all about. It’s about making you laugh, and it succeeds just fine in that.

***1/2

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