A little love, a lot of fat suit

Ever since Ryan Reynolds' first theatrical success, "Van Wilder," people have been waiting for him to top it with some outstanding instant classic. People are still waiting.\nWhile "Just Friends" wasn't bad, it did get a little repetitive and predictable in its pursuit to make audiences laugh.\nDirected by Roger Kumble, "Just Friends" is much better than "The Sweetest Thing," his last try at a romantic comedy, but it does fall short of Reynolds' movies "Van Wilder" and "Waiting."\nTen years ago overweight teen Chris Brander (Reynolds) wanted nothing but to finally tell his high school crush and best friend Jamie Palamino (Amy Smart) how much she meant to him. Instead, he got pushed into the "friend zone" and realized that he would never be able to win Jamie over.\nNow a good-looking womanizer in Los Angeles, Chris is told to escort Samantha James (Anna Faris), a dim-witted and horny pop star, to Paris or he will lose his job. Chris decides to go through with the torment of dealing with this Ashlee Simpson-like star only to find his plane rerouted to his hometown.\nAfter seeing Jamie for the first time in 10 years, Chris immediately tries to see if he can get the girl that he wanted so much through all of high school.\nThe comical part of the movie really kicks in while Chris trys to distract his stubborn and spoiled pop star while going out on dates with Jamie. "Just Friends" gets funnier and funnier as Ryan Reynolds squeezes any ounce of comedy he can into each scene. But enjoy it while you can, because after an hour the laughter dies as the jokes become obnoxious and over the edge.\nDespite being a film with little flow or consistency, it's enjoyable because most people can surely relate to it in one way or another. Although "Just Friends" wouldn't be my first recommendation for a good movie this weekend, it's a movie to look at if you really enjoy a cute romantic comedy about trying to find love.