Plenty of romantic comedies feature mediocre-looking guys who somehow wind up with absolutely beautiful women. When this is formalized as the plot of a rom-com, can it sustain a movie? She's Out of My League proves that, in this case, the answer is no.
Kirk (Jay Baruchel) is a nice loser. He wants to be a pilot but is stuck working airport security; he's also whiny, clumsy, goofy-looking and suffering from low self esteen. Kirk is hung up on his ex-girlfriend Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), an irritating woman who's still very tight with Kirk's family -- as is her new boyfriend Ron (Hayes MacArthur). Kirk spends his free time with his friend, fellow airport employees: sarcastic Stainer (T.J. Miller), pudgy optimist Devon (Nate Torrence), and good-lucking guy Jack (Mike Vogel).
When beautiful Molly (Alice Eve) leaves her iPhone behind at the airport, Kirk returns it to her --and somehow this leads to the two of them dating. Molly seems absolutely perfect -- friendly, funny, beautiful, successful, even a hockey fan -- but everyone else tells Kirk it won't work Kirk's family thinks she might be a prostitute; Kirk's friends say she's a 10 and he's a 6, and that gap can't be overcome; and Molly's ex-boyfriend Cam (Geoff Stults) is a handsome jet pilot who wants Molly back and (for reasons never explained) thinks Kirk is her gay friend.There's absolutely nothing original in She's Out of My League -- and very little that's funny. A romantic comedy should have appealing leads, but here Jay Baruchel spends the movie being a nice-but-annoying loser, while Alice Eve giggles sweetly from start to finish. The supporting cast is equally one dimensional (and Lindsay Sloane has the truly thankless role of the evil ex-girlfriend who lacks any redeeming qualities). She's Out of My League tries to be part of the crude-but-sweet series of successful rom-coms, but all this offers is a lot of cursing and two gross-out gags that go nowhere. And Kirk's endless series of misfortunes -- the most to happen to a character since Meet the Parents -- gets old very quickly. There are a few small laughs here and there, but She's Out of My League is neither funny enough nor romantic enough to bother seeing.
Overall grade: D
Reviewed by James Lynch
