Kissing Forbidden - DVD

Content: Life does not mean well for Brian (Dave Annable). Instead of working for prestigious magazines like National Geographic, he has to waste his talents as a photographer for pet weddings. And instead of finding the love of his life, he first falls for his crazy assistant Tonya (Mena Suvari) and then is forced by gangster boss Vadik Nikitin (Ken Davitian) to marry his daughter Masha (Katharine McPhee) so she can stay in the US. Intimidated by Nikitin's henchman Brick (Vinnie Jones), Brian agrees to the forced marriage, with kissing and other intimacies strictly forbidden. Under the watchful eyes of Brick, Immigration and the jealous Tonya, the supposed dream couple leave for a honeymoon in a veritable South Seas paradise after the wedding ceremony. But this is where the nightmare really begins for Brian. But with all the hustle and bustle that awaits him here, it becomes his greatest challenge not to fall in love with the enchanting Masha...

For the comedy Kissing Forbidden director Rob Hedden (Friday the 13th - Deathtrap Manhattan) was able to hire quite a respectable ensemble of actors. In addition to American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee (Smash) and Dave Annable, of Brothers & Sisters fame, Oscar winner Kathy Bates, comedian Rob Schneider, Mena Suvari (American Pie), Vinnie Jones (Jack, Queen, King, grAs) and Tia Carrere (Relic Hunter) romp through the tumultuous goings-on. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hedden chases his cast from one mess to the next, which at times is very amusing, at other times just silly and rather flat.

The beginning of the film doesn't promise much good. A dance number to the fremdschämen von Mena Suvari and a not really funny photo shoot, by which Brian ends up with the gangster boss, let expect bad things. Fortunately, these comedic shallows are followed by some quite amusing scenes, which then improve the mood of the audience considerably. After that, flat gags and successful laughs are more or less in balance, provided of course that you have a soft spot for Hollywood comedies of the not really sophisticated kind.

Because neither the story nor its realization is particularly original or profound, the humor is anything but subtle and also romantic feelings come up only very limited. The acting of the obviously good-humored actors and the fact that the film never tries to be more than it actually is, ultimately helps Küssen verboten out of its triviality. Although there could have been potential for a lot more, Rob Hedden has overall succeeded in making a rather amusing and entertaining adventure romantic comedy. If you don't expect more, you'll be thoroughly entertained here!

Picture + Sound: The picture is clean and has decent overall sharpness. However, the visuals also keep revealing the film's rather low budget. Despite the thoroughly positive aspects, which include the punchy colours, the visuals simply can't compete with those of recent big-budget productions. This also applies to the sound, which despite some good surround effects, such as during a helicopter flight through a thunderstorm, has turned out overall but very front-heavy.

Extras: Unfortunately, the only bonus features are the trailer for the film and other program tips from the provider.

Conclusion: Küssen verboten is a well-cast comedy in which successful gags and flat silliness roughly balance each other out. Given the potential that the story and also the actors would have offered, the end result is admittedly somewhat disappointing overall. But if you like shallow Hollywood comedies of the slightly sillier kind that can come up with a few good gags and a picturesque setting, you can definitely enjoy this turbulent honeymoon

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp