Claudia Puig "Baggage Claim" is so archaic in its depiction of feminine self-worth—and, frankly, so insulting—it's amazing that it's coming out in 2013, not 1963. It's also the second movie opening this week in which attractive, vibrant people pushing 30 must find spouses within a totally arbitrary and impossibly tight time frame in order to please their demanding parents. While "Baggage Claim" takes place within a black family in Baltimore, "Wedding Palace" is set in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. It's a small world after all, sadly. Paula Patton, however, is a serious globetrotter as a perky and perfectly coiffed flight attendant named Montana Moore. Not only does she have the obligatory sassy best friend (Jill Scott) who's armed with innuendos and in-your-face cleavage, Montana also has the no- nonsense, no-filter gay pal (Adam Brody) who will always set her straight. Both fly the friendly skies alongside her. Their mile-high chatter is mostly mind-numbing, but Brody gets a few funny lines. Montana also has a childhood buddy named William Wright—please take note of that last name—who lives down the hall from her. Might the man of her dreams have been right under her nose all along? Even the likable and charismatic Derek Luke can't do much with such formulaic nonsense. But Luke is one of the astonishing array of attractive actors that writer-director David E. Talbert serves up as a smorgasbord of possible suitors. The greatest tension Talbert achieves in clumsily adapting his same-named novel comes from the conundrum of whether Montana should live a life of luxury and excitement alongside a dashing hotel magnate (Djimon Hounsou), or a life of safety and serenity with Luke, who runs his family's construction business. There's never any doubt. Come on, you've seen a movie before, right? Before she can get there, though, she and her co-workers manipulate the travel booking system to allow her to stalk various exes by "accidentally" showing up on their flights. You see, her younger sister (Lauren London) has just gotten engaged, which inspires their much- married mother (Jenifer Lewis) to exert even more pressure on Montana to find a man of her own. Naturally, she only has 30 days to accomplish this feat, because that makes sense, and it's a good, round number. Montana just discovered that the one she thought was The One (Boris Kodjoe, with whom she shares an unintentionally hilarious love scene on a boat) is actually married with a baby on the way. Nevertheless, she throws herself headlong into this wacky endeavor, which entails dashing through airports and flailing her arms, her roller board suitcase skipping on the ground behind her. Aside from her looks and her childhood love of New Edition, Montana's obsessive pursuit of a mate is pretty much the only thing that defines her as a character. Among other previous boyfriends, she reconnects with a flashy record producer (Tremaine Neverson, better known as Trey Songz) and a dude she rejects apparently because he doesn't know how to use chopsticks. Cue the hackneyed bad-date montage. (There's also the trying- on-clothes montage. Talbert leaves no rom-com cliché unturned.) The best part of "Baggage Claim," if such a thing is possible, is the section in which Montana quickly rekindles an old romance with Langston (Taye Diggs), a slick opportunist who's running for Congress and needs the perfect trophy wife to stand dutifully—and quietly—by his side. The fact that he's a black Republican sets up an awkward dinner with a deep-pockets donor (Ned Beatty) as well as the film's only truly funny lines. There aren't many, but man, does it feel good to laugh again

Tony Heck "It's not a man I need, it's a husband, a potential husband in a month." Montana (Patton) is going to be a bridesmaid at her sisters wedding. She is excited for her but also depressed because her younger sister is getting married before her. When she tells her friends they come up with a plan. She will meet all of her ex's one more time and try to find a husband before the wedding date which is 30 days away. I have to admit right off that this is not usually my type of movie. I'm not huge into romantic comedies so I wasn't all that excited about watching this. While I will admit I have seen worse my biggest complaint with movies is some are way too predictable and when you know the outcome 5 minutes in the movie becomes a little boring and loses magic. This is one of those movies. It wasn't even like it was a surprise twist either, when the star says I'm never gonna find a husband and instantly someone she has known forever walks into the screen...DING DING DING! An hour and a half later...told you. I know movies like this aren't supposed to have a lot of twists but this was so predictable that it made every other scene meaningless there was no "will she pick him" feeling. That made the movie boring to me. Overall, way too predictable to be enjoyable. I give it a C.

paolagonzalez625 I never write movie reviews but this movie was so funny and cute. I laughed smiled cried throughout the whole thing. It was just what I needed. Paula Patton does a good job as do the rest of the characters. I really like Paula Patton in general, she is beautiful and charming in all her movies.These movies can be so cheesy sometimes but this time around it was more funny than anything. I loved Tray songs and seeing Tia Moury as well as Lala. Adam Brody is a great actor and I was surprised to see him here and in a different character. Im also from the DC area and I love the fact that a lot of movies are now taking place here. This is perfect movie for a girls night in.

Jono Hermitt By Jonathan L HermittAfter watching this movie, the only thing that should be "claimed" is a refund. Director-writer David E Talbert provided a creatively idle rom-com starring Paula Patton (Montana Moore); as a flight attendant who under the pressure of her mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and the wedding engagement of her younger sister (Lauren London) somehow finds herself in a position where she has to locate and bring a fiancé to her sister's rehearsal dinner in thirty days. In doing so, she uses her friends to set up an arguably illegal "spy network" to find out which of her ex- boyfriends are taking which flights- so she can manipulate herself aboard and hopefully start again with these men.She wears the long, straight rom-com hair of ignorance with the smile of innocence which I like to call a ritual of rom-com. The story was naturally predictable adhering to every single rom-com textbook story model and so heavily resting on weak humour. Alongside the contemporary traditional female friend and gay male friend duo (similar to Devil's Wear Prada) it's one large equation for mediocre...if that. I'm not particularly familiar with Talbert and this is the first film I've seen of his, regardless, in this film it's strongly indicative that he's chosen quantity over quality.