Wedding seasons mean different things to different people. For some it's the promise of fun parties and family reunions, and for others it's the depressing thought of awkwardly chatting with distant relatives and buying overpriced presents.

For one pair of hotshot lawyers, though, the institution of marriage is the perfect excuse for serial seductions and caddish behaviour.

Every week John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) pick a wedding. They then turn up uninvited, claim to be long-lost relatives and target the best looking women there. They're down to their last one of the season, and it's a biggie.

The daughter of a future presidential favourite is getting hitched the perfect opportunity to work their womanising scam. The only trouble is, John falls in love for real. Bowled over by the bride's sister, he mounts a weekend long campaign to win her over and disgrace her current, loathsome boyfriend. But that's bad news for Jeremy, who's fending off the attentions of his own latest conquest, a bunny-boiling bridesmaid. As John chases true love, Jeremy finds his life swiftly becoming a living nightmare.

This is a typical American comedy romp, full of broad and fairly obvious humour. But for all that, it's great fun. It strikes a particularly nice balance between charm and cynicism. While it's basically a romantic comedy, it never really feels like a chick-flick; at the same time, the bawdy humour never becomes too laddish. That means the film pulls off the neat trick of having something to offer both the boys and the girls, without irritating either.

The double act between the two leads is great fun. Wilson, as usual, trades on his laidback banter, while Vaughn has a more manic, fast-talking delivery. As a pair of would-be Peter Pans, who are far too old to be behaving so immaturely, they still manage to be likable and engaging.

And there's a decent support cast too. Usually the main love interest in a film like this is about as interesting as drying paint, but Rachel McAdams is surprisingly appealing. She has a likable chemistry with Wilson, and their relationship has a real charm to it. And, bringing a very funny twist to the Fatal Attraction-style stalker, Isla Fisher is excellent as bridesmaid Gloria. Her scenes with Vaughn are some of the film's funniest. Director David Dobkin also has the good sense to cast Christopher Walken as the suspicious father; a move that can't fail to deliver laughs.

Aside from the sparky chemistry between the main characters, the script sets up plenty of madcap situations to keep things moving briskly. At nearly two hours, though, it is a bit on the long side. Fortunately, even when the closing stretch threatens to run out of steam, Wilson and Vaughn's banter keep things ticking over.

Wedding Crashers is certainly nothing that special; you'll struggle to remember more than one or two gags the next day. But it's fun while it lasts, and it's the most enjoyable US comedy for quite some time. And it may even give you a few tips on how best to survive any weddings you don't really want to go to.