Today’s quick review: The Ugly Truth. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl), the producer of a struggling news show, is outraged when the network brings on Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), the boorish host of a dating advice show, to boost ratings. After a rocky start to their professional relationship, Abby reluctantly turns to Mike to help her win over the man of her dreams (Eric Winter). But in doing so, she finds herself turning into someone she’s not.
The Ugly Truth is a romantic comedy about two members of a Sacramento news program who have very different views about romance. Abby is a perfectionist who believes in love and romance, while Mike is a cynic who thinks all relationships are physical. Their battle of ideologies gives way to an unlikely friendship as Abby learns that some of Mike’s advice actually works, even as Mike starts to question the very advice he’s giving.
The Ugly Truth doesn’t aim very high with its comedy, but it does hit the targets it aims at. The rivalry between Abby and Mike leads to some fun situations as the two try to prove each other wrong. Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler play off each other well, with good comedic timing. The jokes can be a little cheap at times, but they are reliable. All this is enough to make The Ugly Truth a light and enjoyable watch.
However, The Ugly Truth doesn’t go as far with its premise as it could have. The romance gets the short end of the stick, with a good setup between Abby and Mike that never gets developed into a complete relationship. The movie goes through the motions of character arcs without actually putting in the work to complete them. And although the script has a lot of good supporting detail, there are no real subplots to help prop up the main plot.
The end result is a decent romantic comedy that packs few surprises. A promising setup, consistent humor, and two well-chosen leads are enough to make The Ugly Truth worth a watch for those looking for some quick entertainment. But there isn’t enough substance to the movie to satisfy fans of romance, while comedy fans can also do better. You should also skip it if you’re sensitive to explicit humor.
For another romantic comedy about a womanizer forced to reevaluate his philosophy, try What Women Want, Hitch, or Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. For a modern romantic comedy about dating and deception, try Man Up.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for solid comedy but not much more.