She’s Out of My League deceptively begins as your typical nerd-meets-girl romantic comedy. When Kirk (Jay Baruchel), an airport security official (essentially one step above a mall cop), initially meets Molly (Alice Eve), a beautiful blonde girl that his friends describe as a “hard 10,” he thinks he has no chance with her. After all, Kirk is skinny and weird looking and the buxom Molly has curves that never quit. But when Molly’s friend Patty (Krysten Ritter) tells Kirk that her gal pal has a thing for him, he starts to think otherwise. The film follows a predictable path as Kirk and Molly start dating, then hit a rough patch and eventually try to find a way to resolve their differences. Many of the jokes will remind you of other comedies. In one funny scene that recalls the shaving scene in
40-Year-Old Virgin, Kirk decides to prune his pubic hair. In another awkward moment that seems inspired by
There’s Something About Mary, he literally creams his jeans when he and Molly are getting hot and heavy. What makes the film work is its great cast of characters. Baruchel plays the good-natured nerd with enough charm to make his character heroic despite his flaws, and his pals Stainer (T.J. Miller), Devon (Nate Torrence) and Jack (Mike Vogel) are well-rounded and deliver plenty of good lines that make them essential to the film's unrelenting humor. ***
