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There's little doubting what I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is about: two men getting hitched. But these men are straight firefighters forced to pose as a couple for life insurance purposes. A miscast Adam Sandler and a better Kevin James raise a few laughs as they muddle along pretending to be gay, but their journey of discovery (homosexuals are nice, and get a raw deal) doesn't ring true when the script seems just as prejudiced as they are.

The build-up to Chuck and Larry's nuptials cast them as heterosexual in no uncertain terms. Chuck (Sandler) is a serial womaniser bedding beautiful twins and having orgies with glamour models and gorgeous doctors (even more unlikely than his pairing with Kate Beckinsale in Click). Larry (James) is a chunky, macho widower and father who saves Chuck's life and leaves him indebted. When Larry needs a friend to pose as his partner and pass on life insurance to his kids, Chuck responds to the idea with a barrage of unfunny homophobic insults.

"CHUCK IS A DEEPLY UNSYMPATHETIC CHARACTER"

There are witty moments when the two men are forced to move in together under the watchful eye of insurance investigators: they even try to make their trash more 'gay'. But Chuck is a deeply unsympathetic character, using his cover to cosy up to lawyer Jessica Biel in a way that feels seedy rather than amusingly naughty. The closing message claims to promote tolerance, but this remains a lads' comedy: it's all about sniggering at pansies and peeking up girls' skirts. And even that market deserves something funnier.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry is out in the UK on 21st September 2007.