It’s 1995 and Chris Brander (Ryan Reynolds, Blade: Trinity) isn’t exactly hot stuff with the ladies in high school. Geeky and more than a little overweight, the only woman who was ever friendly to him is best friend Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart, Crank). Unfortunately for Chris, that’s all Jamie ever will be to him—his friend. When Jamie good-naturedly turns down his advances, Chris leaves town and his old life behind. Ten years later, he’s a successful record company executive and quite the stud. But when a freak accident en route to Paris brings his plane down in his old home town, Chris is reunited with Jamie and finally has the chance to impress her—if he can get over his clumsiness and past rival, reformed loser Dusty Dinkleman (Chris Klein, The Long Weekend).Just Friends actually had the potential to be a really sweet and funny comedy; potential that it unfortunately squanders, reducing it to nothing more than another lame goofy flick. With the cult classic Van Wilder: Party Liaison and his turn as the smart-mouthed badass Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity, we were certain that Reynolds could turn this cliché-ridden and rather brainless script into something mildly entertaining. Instead, he just comes off as whiny and annoying in Just Friends—and not even snidely funny. His only good moments are when he’s paired off with Chris Marquette (The Girl Next Door), who plays his younger brother Mike. Their chemistry really shines and their relationship is portrayed as typically—yet hilariously—brotherly.The rest of the cast doesn’t do much for us either. Anna Faris (the Scary Movie series) as pop star Samantha James is as annoying as she’s ever been and Klein’s character seemed like he was tossed into the mix by the writers at the last minute.Don’t get us wrong—Ryan Reynolds is a genuinely funny actor. But every funny actor has his duds, and this is one of his worst. Don’t bother with Just Friends, unless you’re up for some absolutely mindless antics.
