"Bridesmaids" steal the show

Fans of the highly popular television show "30 Rock" and the hit movie "Knocked Up" will love Paul Feig's latest comedy, which has been referred to as a female version of "The Hangover." Aside from a few comic sequences that play out for far too long, "Bridesmaids" keeps audiences laughing.

Set in present day Milwaukee, "Bridesmaids" follows Saturday Night Live (SNL) star Kristen Wiig as Annie. After being named Maid of Honor for her best friend Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) wedding, Annie's life slowly begins to take several turns for the worse. Upon meeting the four other unusual Bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) the five women go on a wild ride down the road to matrimony. While dealing with bizarre pre-wedding antics and financial instability, Annie is left with huge decisions to make. Her lack of a stable relationship doesn't make things any better. From jealousy and competition to love and heart break, Annie has a lot to consider as Lillian's big day approaches.

Wiig shines as the strong-willed main character of this film and drives the course of the production. She is in pretty much every shot of the movie, much to the audiences' pleasure. Wiig's comedic talent is showcased perfectly from her outrageous facial expressions to her fun loving and carefree attitude. In addition to her comedic talents, Wiig is able to elicit strong emotional feelings from the audience as she explores a reluctant relationship with Nathan Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), a friendly highway patrol man. This mix of humor and sentiment showcases Wiig's versatility as an actress.

In addition, the movie's screenplay is exceptionally well-written and entertaining. Some of the film's one-liners are simply genius and make the audience roar with laughter, and the interaction between Annie and her rival bridesmaid Helen (Byrn) brings a central force to the comedy.

Although each attempt at humor in the film is a success, there are various drawn out scenes. For example, when the bridesmaids take a trip to Los Vegas, the antics they undergo on the airplane begin to feel very long winded. These instances can be easily overlooked, but over-the-top gags are common in the film.

Another noteworthy aspect is the empowerment that the film gives to women. Comedies with a predominately female cast are quite rare, but in "Bridesmaids", each character in the film has more than one layer to them. There are no one-dimensional characters; the women of the film are complex and uniquely formed through gradual character development. They each have a depth to them that makes the film more than just a lighthearted comedy.

"Bridesmaids" not only makes the audience laugh, but it teaches viewers life lessons along the way. Annie's downward spiral and struggle to make ends meet are used to convey the message of fighting back when life gets you down. Megan (McCarthy), the macho and rugged bridesmaid of the film turns out to be one of the wisest characters of them all, regardless of her initial dumb reputation. She blatantly steals the show in each scene that she is in.

It is unusual to find a film that leaves one laughing at a joke minutes after it has already passed, but "Bridesmaids" is undoubtedly hysterical. It wouldn't even be a bad idea to see it a second time just to catch all the jokes that were missed while laughing at the one before.

"Bridesmaids" is rated R for some strong sexuality and language throughout. The movie runs 125 minutes and is showing in theaters everywhere