Reel Critic:

It would be too easy to dismiss “27 Dresses” as another frothy, mindless example of romantic comedy fluff. Even though it clearly falls into that category and is worthy of being branded a “chick flick,” it does have qualities that give it some redemption.

These stories, developed primarily for the female audience, search for hooks they believe are unique. It’s a continual recycling of the themes that opposites attract and those who dislike each other when they meet will end up together. You could also throw in some “men are so impossible” philosophy.

The hook in this case is Katherine Heigl, the ingénue of the moment who is best known for her work on television in “Grey’s Anatomy.” While she’s enjoying her current popularity, casting her in this movie is one of the elements that helps its chance for success.

Heigl is Jane, the perennial bridesmaid who claims to love being the best friend and chief supporter at her friends’ nuptials. You’ll find her picture in the dictionary next to “hopeless romantic.” She’s so enamored by the entire process that she saves clippings of wedding stories from the newspaper, written by a cynical reporter named Kevin (James Marsden), whose view on marriage is expressed as “the last legal form of slavery.”

Jane harbors a crush on her boss, George (Edward Burns), who is portrayed as the perfect guy except for his biggest flaw: He’s clueless to Jane’s pining for him. (Of course, everyone else in their office knows it.) While George may be a champion mountain climber, wonderful humanitarian and visionary business mogul, he can’t see what’s right in front of him.

When Jane’s vivacious, globe-trotting younger sister, Tess (Malin Akerman), shows up, she misrepresents herself as an animal-loving vegan in order to snag George. Now Jane has to plan the wedding between her scheming sister and her unrequited love. Meanwhile, Kevin is secretly writing a story about Jane’s bulging closet as a microcosm of her repressed relationship issues, which start to unmask the depths of his bitterness as he unwittingly begins to fall for her.