Matthew McConaughey is back with another romantic comedy. Last year he started in Fool’s Gold, a movie that was mildly entertaining. This year Matthew McConaughey stars with Jennifer Garner in the movie Ghost of Girlfriends Past. The good news is that this move is a bit better than Fool’s Gold.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is loosely based on the movie A Christmas Carol, except here it isn’t Christmas and Conner Mead (Matthew McConaughey) isn’t exactly scrooge. Back at home for his brother’s, Paul (Breckin Meyer), wedding, Conner Mead is visited by three ghosts representing the past, the present and the future. Each ghost tries to teach Conner a lesson on his womanize way which were taught to him by his now deceased Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas). Uncle Wayne who now visits Conner as a ghost has some of the funnest scenes in the movie. The rest of the movies plays out with no major surprises.

I’ve always like Jennifer Garner, and she did a pretty good job as Conner’s love interest. Matthew McConanghey has these romantic comedies nailed down and he pretty much plays the same guy he played in 10 Ways to Lose a Guy, Failure to Launch and Fool’s Gold, I know it’s sad that I’ve seen all these movies. In all seriousness, I don’t think it would be easy to distinguish the character he plays here from the one he plays in those three other movie. While, he might have it down to a science, I think it’s time for change.

One of good things about the movie is that the chemistry here between Garner and McConanghey is much better than it was between McConanghey and Kate Hudson in Fool’s Gold. The supporting cast is pretty well balanced with funny performances from Michael Douglas, the first girlfriend ghost (Emma Stone), Paul’s fiancé (Lacey Chabert) and the father of the bride (Robert Forster). Breckin Meyer also does a pretty good job, but plays mostly the straight man.

However, for me to give high marks to a romantic comedy I expect a fair number of original jokes and this movie has only a few if any. I want to laugh to the point that I’m about to cough out a lung and this movie did not deliver in this area. To concluded, the movie was far better than I expected, and it weren’t so predictable and ordinary I would have given it a more favorably review.

Review By Milton Brayson
milton@smartcine.com

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