The Five-Year Engagement - B-

Rated R, 124 minutes

'The Five-Year Engagement" is the overlong but charming, sweet new relationship comedy starring Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. It tells the story of cute San Francisco couple Tommy (Segel) and Violet (Blunt) who finally decide to marry; yet the ceremony is put on hold when Violet gets an educational research job across country and displaces the successful Tommy, a chef at a local San Francisco eatery. The two want to tie the knot but various things keep tripping them up from walking down the aisle. "The Five-Year Engagement" humorously explains how these rules of engagement can come from any direction and how prepared you must be. Not to be redundant, but Blunt and Segel make for an engaging pair as the engaged couple, and their chemistry together highlights a romantic comedy that isn't altogether efficient and occasionally too talky. Nicholas Stoller, directs and co-writes with his "Freeks and Geeks" colleague Segel, and while the story is sweet, there's too much filler, talk in between some of the more humorous scenes. Chris Pratt ("Everwood," "Moneyball") nearly steals the show as Segel's wise-cracking chef pal; Pratt's singing at a wedding to his own bride is the film's funniest moment. Stoller and Segel could've excised many scenes, particularly most of the middle act, until it finally comes together in the amusing but predictable ending. "The Five-Year Engagement" is too long, but it's mostly an enjoyable matrimonial trip.