Wedding jitters is something a lot brides experience on their big day. Many think of calling it quits for an array of reasons but for the most are talked off the ledge by their maid of honor, a friend or family member. Never do you hear of a runaway bride who eventually leaves a trail of dead bodies instead of walking down the aisle.
The bride in director Timothy Woodward Jr.’s Til Death Do Us Part finds herself on the run after leaving her groom standing alone at the altar with a slew of groomsmen on her tail. Natalie Burn shines as the Bride with cold feet who decides to hide out at a secluded family home as she goes toe-to-toe with the best man and the six other groomsmen. Cam Gigandet’s wise cracking Best Man does his best to honor the Groom’s wishes of bringing his bride back alive and well but as the bride makes mincemeat of the tuxedo wearing wedding party things become a little more personal.
The flashback scenes that are set to unite the multiple plot points inside Til Death Does Us Part are at times a little murky despite an extremely entertaining performance by Jason Patrick. More screen time from the star of The Lost Boys would have given the movie a delightful punch. The movie often leaves the viewer in the dark as to why the bride ran off in the first place and what the importance of Jason Patrick and his characters wife are to the plot the film. In time, all of the questions are answered but could have been so much more quickly.
The time the would-be bride spends with the aforementioned couple begins to put doubt in her mind on not only if she wants to say, “I do” but also if she is ready to live a long life as a part of ‘the University.’ The film doesn’t entirely unveil what the University is, but it is revealed that once you are in, this is one marriage you cannot divorce yourself from.
Where Til Death Do Us Part shines is in its action scenes. The unfortunate part is the movie’s energy drops in between. Veteran stunt performer/coordinator Arnold Chon (Rush Hour 2, Bad Times at the El Royal) and D.Y. Sao (Everything All At Once, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) showcased their creativity in the fight scenes since the characters were expecting to be attending a wedding that day and were not equipped with their day-to-day weapons of choice. The fight scenes were beautifully choreographed with plenty of hand-fighting and the characters getting imaginative with weapons ranging from a pipe wrench to a blanket to a chainsaw.
Natalie Burn who previously worked with the Til Death Do Us Part director on Studio City, the Amazon Prime series that Woodward, Jr. won an Emmy Award for, and was put through hell by him and the stunt coordinators. In my interview with the director, he stated that the familiarity of working with actors repeatedly makes his job easier. “There’s a comfort level, there’s a trust. Having worked with people previously gives me an advantage because they know how I work, they know what to expect and there’s a certain level of trust that’s already there.” This trust comes to the forefront in Burn’s action scenes as the classically trained ballerina makes it looks effortless as she is battling foes that are twice her size. Well, all but one is twice her size.
Til Death Do US Part is a thrill ride that would be a blast to see with a rowdy crowd in a dark theater when the climax to the film comes with a beautifully choreographed ‘last dance’ between the Bride and Groom. Will the once happy couple reunite and exchange their vows after all or will the bride once and for all call the whole thing off? The only way to find out is at a theater near you as Til Death Do Us Part is only in theaters starting August 4.
Check out my interview with Emmy Award winning director Timothy Woodward, Jr.
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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