Ticket to Paradise movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Ticket to Paradise

This romantic comedy movie is now available in theaters on October 21, 2022.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 1 hour 44 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

David and Georgia, two divorced parents who can’t stand each other, head to Bali after their daughter, Lily, announces her plans to marry a local islander she just met while on holiday. They decide to put aside their differences and work together to stop the wedding, believing that doing so will keep Lily from making a dreadful mistake similar to their own. A divorced couple teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.

The rom-com was directed by Ol Parker, as well as written by him and Daniel Pipski.

THINGS I LIKED:

It’s great fun to see Julia Roberts and George Clooney together again. This is their sixth movie together and you can definitely feel their chemistry. In 1996, George Clooney said he never wanted to do a romantic comedy again. This is his first one since saying that. I wonder what changed his mind…Julia Roberts?
Kaitlyn Dever is on a roll! If you enjoy her performance in this, you should definitely check out her movie Rosaline now playing on Hulu. She plays Romeo’s ex-girlfriend!
Lucas Bravo plays Julia Roberts’ boyfriend. In the gag reel at the end of the movie, we see him wearing a Batman costume because he actually starred in the 1997 version of Batman & Robin!
I’m assuming all of the wedding traditions featured in the movie are real in Bali. Do you know if they are? Comment down below!
Even though the movie is supposed to take place in Bali, Indonesia, it was actually filmed in Queensland, Australia. I had no idea that Australia could look like a tropical paradise. I thought it was mostly desert and bush.
The music track is fun, especially during the Beer Pong scene.
During the gag reel end credits, Lucas Bravo (Paul) is seen wearing an Adam West-style Batman costume in front of George Clooney. The latter starred in Batman & Robin (1997) as the Caped Crusader.
Beautiful cinematography by Ole Bratt Birkeland.
While much of the movie feels a bit shallow and exaggerated, there are enough heartfelt moments to make this trip to Bali worthwhile.
Keep watching during the rolling credits for some fun bloopers. I always love seeing gag reels.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s extremely predictable.
Julia Roberts’ outfits in the movie were hideous.
Some of the dialogue missed the mark.
The bickering between the parents was annoying, as they usually argued about insignificant matters, making them appear petty and unappealing.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
A young woman sleeps with a young man after only knowing him for a few hours.
Some profanity.
Someone ends up in the hospital after being bitten by a snake.

THEMES:

Marriage and divorce
Choices and consequences
Generational differences
Societal expectations
Rewriting the past
Advice from others
Parenting

FUNNY LINES:

“I need some lemon water and bacon.” – Georgia (Julia Roberts)
“Why does our daughter love us?” – Georgia (Julia Roberts)
“You’ve been doing yoga?” – Paul (Lucas Bravo) “No. I just like the pants.” – David (George Paul (Lucas Bravo)

INTERESTING LINES:

* “Being loved is not the same as loving.” – Lily (Kaitlyn Dever)

“I’m in the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in my life and all I can do is look at you.” – Lily (Kaitlyn Dever)
“It turns out a parent will do anything in the world for their kid except let them be exactly who they are.” – Georgia (Julia Roberts)