To celebrate their new hit collaboration, “Marry Me”, superstars/lovers Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and Bastian (Maluma) are throwing a special concert, where they will get married live in front of 20 million fans. However, just as Kat takes the stage, she learns that her husband-to-be has been unfaithful to her, sleeping with her assistant. Thrown by this news, Kat decides to do something impulsive when she sees a man holding a “Marry Me” sign in the audience, asking the complete stranger to take the place of her former groom-to-be. That man is Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson, Loki), a divorced father/math teacher, who attended the concert on a whim with best friend/guidance counselor Parker (Sarah Silverman, Masters of Sex) and his 12-year-old daughter Lou (Chloe Coleman, Upload), in order to prove to his daughter that he could be fun like her new stepfather. Charlie isn’t really familiar with Kat Valdez, and had been holding his friend’s sign when she called him out, but in the moment, he could see that Kat was a woman who was hurting and in need of support, so he took the stage and agreed to marry her. After the concert, Kat’s manager Collin (John Bradley, Game of Thrones) is eager to pay off Charlie, end the marriage, and have him sign an NDA. But Kat realizes that she keeps picking the wrong men over and over again, and since nothing else has worked for her, why not try something new?! She and Charlie agree to keep up appearances for the press for a few months before dissolving their marriage. They are from two very different worlds, and both of them go into this not expecting to find any kind of love. However, as Kat and Charlie spend time with and open up to one another, they start to discover a connection. But Kat may still have feelings for Bastian, and how can Charlie possibly compete with a guy like that?!

Marry Me is a solid romantic comedy, which surprisingly finds its origins in a web comic of the same name. Out of all of the random fans at the concert, Kat happened to pick the one genuine nice guy who’s not even a fan. Charlie and her lives couldn’t be any more different. She is constantly followed by her manager, assistant Melissa (Michelle Buteau, First Wives Club), and videographer Kofi (Khalil Middleton, The Get Down)—who’s filming every moment of her life, banking footage for her channels. She’s also constantly promoting products and services on her socials—there doesn’t seem to be any moment of her life that’s not being filmed or sponsored. Meanwhile, Charlie isn’t even on social media, and still uses an old school flip phone. His world is all about connecting with his daughter, walking his dog, and helping his math club team, the Pi-thons, prepare for the upcoming Mathalon. He doesn’t care about Kat’s money or fame, in fact he refuses the money that Collin offers him, insisting on a donation to the school instead. At first Charlie doesn’t even consider any romantic connection with Kat—he just wants to help prevent her from making the same mistake again. Even though Kat appears to always be on and promoting something, we quickly learn that she is not just a vapid celebrity. She is a self-made woman who has worked hard to get where she is, and isn’t afraid of being very honest and vulnerable—it still upsets her that she has never been nominated for any awards in her long career. As Charlie helps Kat reconnect with herself and define her self worth on her own terms, Kat also helps Charlie open up and have fun, and reconnect with his daughter.

Marry Me is sweet, funny and charming. Lopez and Wilson have great chemistry, and the connection that forms between Kat and Charlie feels very natural and believable. The film doesn’t go for the typical dislike-turns-to-love cliché of many rom-coms, rather it’s a bit of a slow burn that starts with an unlikely friendship and a nice guy genuinely caring about a stranger. Even though they have just gotten married, Charlie doesn’t really see himself and Kat as a couple. In fact, before he starts to form any romantic feelings for her, he just wants to help Kat make the right choice. If she ultimately decides to go back to Bastian, he would be happy for her, but he wants her to really think about what she wants and deserves before making that choice, and not just go with the simple or easy path and fall back into old habits. However, once the connection forms between them, he has a genuine interest in a future with Kat. The way these two characters slowly discover new things about one another, or see how they interact with others they care about is very sweet and romantic. At the same time, there are also lots of laughs and some really great music.

The musical performances in Marry Me are excellent, and very catchy, with a soundtrack containing nine original songs, ranging from pop, to ballads, to love songs and everything in-between. I was unaware of Maluma before this film, but both he and JLo deliver some stellar performances. Much of the primary filming for this movie was done before COVID lockdowns, so the filmmakers were able to piggyback on Maluma’s concert tour at Madison Square Garden to film a couple of the film’s big moments. The massive crowds and sheer size of the venue really adds another level of excitement and authenticity to these scenes/performances.

Marry Me also has a great supporting cast, who bring a lot of humor to the movie, especially Sarah Silverman as Parker, Charlie’s lesbian friend/co-worker. At Charlie’s school, there’s also a lot of fun characters, such as the students in Charlie’s math club, including George (Brady Noon, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), as well as glee club teacher Jonathan Pitts (Stephen Wallem, Nurse Jackie), who’s a massive super-fan of Kat’s. Chloe Coleman, who play’s Charlie’s daughter Lou also has wonderful chemistry with Wilson—it really feels like these two could be father and daughter. John Bradley and Michelle Buteau also add many hilarious moments as Kat’s manager and assistant (not the one who broke up the marriage).

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds amazing. The picture is clean and pristine throughout, with an excellent level of detail, especially in faces and textures, and the shiny costumes at the concerts. Both the massive concert and performance spectacles as well as the more intimate scenes between Kat and Charlie look great. Much of the dialogue is in the front channels, but the surround sound is well-utilized to bring in the ambiance of the roaring crowd during concert scenes, and the musical performances sound great.

The Blu-ray release comes packed in standard HD keepcase with a carboard slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD Movies Anywhere digital copy of the the film. Both the Blu-ray & DVD discs contain the same selection of bonus material—8 deleted/extended scenes, a gag reel, over 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a music video, and an audio commentary track.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:51:54)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2023):

• HD Movies Anywhere Digital Copy of the film

Extras:

The same bonus material can be found on both discs. Play All, or select from:

• Deleted Scenes (5:27)
  Collection of 8 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:
  • It’s Coming Together (:15)
    Kat prepares for her show in her studio.
  • Plotting the Future (:52)
    Kat talks with Bastian talk about their future together.
  • Is Everyone Happy? (:32)
    Collin deals with show preparations.
  • Come to the Concert (:53)
    Parker asks Charlie to come with her to the concert.
  • What Am I Doing Here? (1:05)
    As Charlie waits in line for the concert, he wonders what he’s doing there. At the same time, Kat also wonders the same thing about herself from her dressing room.
  • You’re Married! (1:03)
    Charlie returns home after the wedding, where Parker waits with lots of questions.
  • Having Fun at the Dance (:25)
    Parker asks Kat if she’s having fun at the school dance.
  • Flight Status (:24)
    Kat tries to buy a standby ticket from another passenger at the airport.
• Gag Reel (1:45)
  Fun with the cast as they flub and forget lines, and have fun on set.
• Jennifer Unveiled (11:49)
  Producer/star Jennifer Lopez (“Kat”) talks about what it’s like being a celebrity living her life in the spotlight, how she relates to this story/character, and how she stays grounded. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of Lopez on set as she prepares scenes with concert creative consultant Tabitha Duomo, actors Maluma (“Bastian”) & Stephen Wallem (“Jonathan Pitts”), co-producer/first assistant director Christopher Surgent, and director of photography Florian Ballhaus. Also includes interviews with director Kat Coiro, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and star Owen Wilson (“Charlie”), who talk about what it’s like working with J. Lo, and what she brought to the film.
• Behind the Camera: The Making Of Marry Me (5:28)
  The cast and filmmakers discuss the story and characters, designing the sets and costumes, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Kat Coiro, producer Jennifer Lopez, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, production designer Jane Musky, director of photography Florian Ballhaus, costume designer Caroline Duncan, and stars Owen Wilson, Maluma, Sarah Silverman (“Parker”) & Chloe Coleman (“Lou”).
• Turn It Up: The Music Of Marry Me (5:52)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about curating and producing the film’s nine original songs to help inform the characters and their journeys. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Jennifer Lopez, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, director Kat Coiro, concert creative consultant Tabitha Duomo, and singer Maluma.
• Live at Madison Square Garden (4:41)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about casting and working with Maluma, and filming during his concert tour at Madison Square Garden. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Kat Coiro, producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, executive producer/unit production manager Pamela Thur, and stars Maluma, Jennifer Lopez & John Bradley (“Colin”).
• Married With Style (5:03)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming Kat’s big flashy opening song, from choreographing the dances to finding the wedding dress, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producers Jennifer Lopez & Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, director Kat Coiro, concert creative consultant Tabitha Duomo, choreographer Kiel Tutin, production designer Jane Musky & costume designer Caroline Duncan.
• “On My Way” Lyric Video (3:09)
  Stylized lyrics appear on screen while clips from the film play along with Jennifer Lopez singing “On My Way”.
• Feature Commentary (1:52:05)
  Director Kat Coiro and Producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas provide a behind-the-scenes commentary throughout the film. It takes a little while for the women to get used to watching and talking at the same time—at one point Goldsmith-Thomas even says “I hope we’re not talking too much”, while her partner mentions that’s the reason for the commentary. 🙂 At first there are a lot of pauses, but once they get going, the women share some fun and interesting behind-the-scenes stories and trivia about the production, and discuss some of the changes that were made during the long post-production period during lockdown. The women recorded their commentary via Zoom from Georgia and upstate New York respectively, resulting in audio that sounds a bit tinny rather than the cleaner studio recording we typically get on these commentaries.

Final Thoughts:

Marry Me is a fun, sweet and entertaining romantic comedy starring a talented cast, and featuring some excellent, catchy original music. I enjoyed the film just as much the second time around. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and features a solid selection of bonus material. This is an easy recommendation for fans of the cast/film. But for those who wish to check out the movie before making a blind purchase, it is also available to subscribers of the Peacock streaming service.