She’s Out Of My League

Another predictable romcom, this time aimed slightly more at the guys. So no weddings, no girlie nights out, but plenty of buddy fun, premature ejaculation jokes and a ball-shaving scene. Plus you get to see a lot of Alice Eve playing hot babe Molly, who stuns everyone she meets.

Kirk (Jay Baruchel) is an airport security worker, down on his luck in the dating department since he took a two-year time-out from his awful girlfriend, Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), who has become part of his horrible family.

Then Molly turns up at the airport, forgetting her phone when she boards her plane, so that Kirk has to return it to her the next day. She just happens to be at a rather cool party at the Andy Warhol Gallery, because she’s an events organiser. When Kirk and his friend get thrown out of the party for klutzy behaviour, Molly makes it up to them by taking them to an ice hockey game. There, her friend Patty (Krysten Ritter) tells Kirk that Molly is really into him. Kirk can’t believe this and neither can his friends. They give him all the reasons why he’s a five and Molly is a perfect ten. It’s just not possible to bridge that gap. Though married buddy Devon (Nate Torrence) says: “If someone really loves you, then you are a ten.” To which the response is: “My God, what are you – Hannah Montana?”

But Kirk’s luck seems to have changed. Molly asks him for a date. She kisses him. She goes to meet his parents. Because, you see, hot girls aren’t always secure. Sometimes they need an ordinary guy, one they feel safe with. Yeah, right.

Of course, all does not go smoothly. Kirk has his embarrassing incident when he meets Molly’s parents. It all seems to be over. How can he win her back? There’s also the hurdle of sex. Kirk has the body of an ordinary guy. (It must be a pleasant change for an actor not to have to bulk up for a part.) One buddy advises prep, hence the ball-shaving.

They have the obligatory big row. But his buddies are there to save him, and Molly’s friend is there for her, all the way to the “If you want him, you gotta go get him” finale.

It’s a tried and tested romcom formula, partly redeemed by the banter among the buddies and some genuinely comic moments, such as Kirk telling every member of his family what he thinks of them before storming off their plane, only to find that the plane has taken off and he’s stuck with them for the rest of the flight. TJ Miller gives good support as friend Stainer, gradually revealing his own insecurities, and English actor Alice Eve (her parents in the film are played by her real parents, Trevor Eve and Sharon Maughan) is pure Hollywood babe with her perfect teeth and body, though it’s a part which could just as easily have been filled by say, Jessica Alba or any one of a host of others. Rather more interesting is pouty Krysten Ritter who deserves something better than the bitchy best friend role.

The young audience I saw this with seemed to enjoy it. Will they remember it next month? Probably not.