Romantic comedies: after a while, they all tend to blend together. An average-looking young woman with low self-esteem vies for the attention of her Dream Guy, only to discover her soul mate was right in front of her all along.

Try as it might, “Isn’t it Romantic” is no different. It just takes a sizable hit to the head to convince the protagonist that the life she claims to want isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When she’s mugged after a particularly brutal day at work, Natalie (Rebel Wilson) wakes up to find herself in a romanticized version of her life, complete with flash mobs and dreamy doctors.

She quickly tires of this life, however, when she comes to find that it’s a little too perfect — except for the fact that her best friend has fallen in love with someone else. She must now find a way to reverse the damage and revert back to her normal life to profess her newfound feelings before it’s too late.

Despite its feel-good qualities and heartwarming comedy, the movie has some glaring flaws. For one thing, it reinforces that plus-sized women are somehow inferior and inherently unhappy. Just take a look at Amy Schumer’s hit 2018 film “I Feel Pretty.” Like Natalie, Schumer’s character suffers a blow to the head, begins to see an enhanced version of her current life and learns to love herself in the end.

We should be teaching plus-sized men and women to be content with themselves as is, not that it takes a life-threatening injury or a major life reevaluation to find confidence. And along those lines, women should be able to attain happiness independent of a love interest.

As for the movie itself, it fell victim to as many rom-com cliches as it mocked, and was saved only by an entertaining performance from Wilson. Though relying partially on her usual physical comedy, Wilson adds a refreshing touch to an otherwise forgettable film.

Isn’t It Romantic

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Rating: 2 Stars

Release Date: February 13, 2019

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson