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“Solo Mio” is directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, and this is their latest collaboration with this film’s star, Kevin James, after the three worked together on the straight to Netflix film “Home Team.” Alongside James, the film has a cast including Nicole Grimaudo (Medicina generale, Loose Cannons), Alyson Hannigan (Penn & Teller: Fool Us, American Pie), Jonathan Roumie (Jesus Revolution, The Chosen), Julee Cerda (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Homeland), Julie Ann Emery (Absolute Dominon, Preacher), and Kim Coates (Van Helsing, Sons of Anarchy). This film follows a man named Matt Taylor, whose wedding is upended when his bride never walks down the aisle. Not only does this put an end to his marriage before it starts, but also prompts him to continue with the couple’s honeymoon activities by himself. Throughout the film, we see Taylor make the most of the situation, while meeting new faces along the way.

Life is beautiful. No. Genuinely. It is. Part of this is because of its unpredictability. As a moviegoer, I have, to quote Roy Batty from “Blade Runner,” seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Part of this harkens back to my experience with Kevin James, whose projects in recent years may not be as notable as his earlier work. Yet at the same time, his more recent efforts showcase some diversification in his resume. “Becky” was a huge surprise. Not only was the movie better than I thought it would be, but Kevin James does an excellent job in his role as the film’s antagonist. I never imagined Kevin James as a villain-type character, but that movie completely changed my mind. Also, while Kevin James may not be on the same level as Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves, he showed some potential as an action star in last year’s “Guns Up.” Kevin James, whether he likes it or not, will always be tied to comedy. But I think he has done a good job at spicing up his resume a bit recently.

Compared to “Becky” and “Guns Up,” “Solo Mio” feels a bit more like a return to form for Kevin James. That is to a certain degree. While the film is definitely lighthearted, it does not quite have the same DNA as a typical Happy Madison project. Frankly, that works in the film’s favor. It comes close at times, but I guarantee you that this movie would have been a different animal if the crew found an excuse to put Adam Sandler in it. “Solo Mio” is a romcom, and James is no stranger to films where he seeks love, like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop.” Another example is “Hitch,” which features him playing a character who lacks the “game” in the dating game. In this film, we see James’ character, Matt Taylor, deal with his emotions and make the most of his time in Rome when the love of his life ditches him at their wedding. James also had a hand behind the scenes as one of the film’s writers and producers.

But the most beautiful story behind the scenes is not James’, but rather the family that came together to make this movie happen.

Following my screening of this movie, I did some research on the Internet about it to see what minor details would come up. Next thing I knew, I found myself on a Reddit page where one of the film’s writers, John Kinnane, was talking about how this was his first film. That would be a cool bragging right by itself, but it gets better. Turns out said writer is one of seven brothers, and the rest of those siblings collaborated on the film’s production. John Kinnane co-wrote the film alongside his brother Pat. Charles and Daniel Kinnane directed the movie. Pete Kinnane handled editing. And as for producing, Wil and Brendan Kinnane took care of that alongside their brother-in-law, Jeff Azize.

…Which is why it breaks my heart to say that this movie is okay at best.

It is difficult to find something in “Solo Mio” that outright made my blood boil, but I can pinpoint to some things in the film that did annoy me at one moment or another. Some of the supporting characters are a bit exaggerated compared to James as the lead. There is sometimes a sense of tonal inconsistency when they are on camera together. Speaking of characters, the film debatably has too many of them. I could not tell you everyone’s name on the cast. I was not fully intrigued by each character’s role in the story. By the end of the film, things become rather convoluted and random subplots feel as if they are being thrown in at the last minute.

Once again, this film was put together by seven brothers. I wonder how collaborative their process must have been. Part of me worries, given the result of this movie, that it could have been overly collaborative. Maybe John and Pat Kinnane had their own ideas of how the movie should go, but perhaps the other brothers, who, for the record, were not credited with writing the script, had their own ideas that ultimately overstuffed the runtime. While I appreciate the film’s fast pace, part of me wonders if we could have settled things down a tad and padded out the runtime to give some more depth to everything going on. Granted, I was not involved in the making of the movie. So, this may as well remain a baseless assumption. But my experience of watching “Solo Mio” reminded me of “Fackham Hall,” which I also found okay at best. That film was written by four people, two of whom happen to be brothers. Sure, like “Fackham Hall,” some things work in “Solo Mio,” but at a certain point more than halfway through, the film overcomplicates itself and almost becomes something it probably should never have been in the first place.

The film has its attempts at humor, but if I had to average everything out, the film lands somewhere around the middle in terms of landing all its jokes.

Yet for all the film’s faults, the film has one aspect that is worth the price admission. There is a celebrity who happens to play themself that made the movie for me. The appearance, which if you ask me, is way too long to be considered a cameo, does require some suspension of disbelief. But if you can live with that, you are in for a treat.

I had one big question regarding “Solo Mio” going into it. How preachy would this film turn out to be? I asked this to myself because I did some research prior to my screening and found out the film was being distributed by Angel Studios, which is a company that tends to have an association with Christian or faith-based projects. Having seen this film, most of it comes off as if it lacks a religious identity, though there is one scene at a dinner table that does have an ongoing gag about prayer. The film does not appear to accuse or shame anyone of having a different viewpoint. That said, when it comes to the romantic connections in this film, there appears to be more of a focus on love rather than lust. If you are looking for something that lacks the filth of “Wuthering Heights” at this time of year, then “Solo Mio” may be for you.

I should also note that the film is G-rated, so this film may be okay for the younger crowds too. That said, I do not think every kid is gonna round the block for a ticket to see this. In fact, at my screening, which was about three-quarters full, I may have been the only person in the auditorium under 30.

In the end, I cannot quite say “Solo Mio” is in fact… for me-oh. There are things to like about this film. Kevin James gives an okay lead performance. Some of jokes are funny. There is a certain arc involving Ed Sheeran I thought was well realized. The unnamed celebrity appearance is a highlight. The movie has a compelling hook, I just wish the rest of it were as smooth as what it was at the start. It feels weird to say as someone living in the 2020s, where just about everything is at my fingertips, but I thought “Solo Mio” might have been too short. I congratulate the family who came together to make the film of their dreams, and I am rooting for them to hopefully churn out another project sometime in the future. I just hope whatever they do next is an improvement over this. The film is not bad, but definitely not perfect. I am going to give “Solo Mio” a 6/10.

By the way, this is not my first exposure to the Kinnane brothers. Years ago, they created a series of online videos called “Sound Guy,” where its titular character reacts to popular movie scenes while said scenes were being made. The series, like this movie, also starred Kevin James. The videos are often quite funny, including this one where the sound guy gets early access to the big twist in “The Empire Strikes Back.” If you ever have a chance to check the videos out, please do. They are such a riot, especially if you are a film fanatic like yours truly.

“Solo Mio” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! And as a reminder, Movie Requests begins tomorrow! And if you are following Scene Before already, you will get access to the first episode as soon as it is posted here, but the fastest way to check out the episode is to be subscribed to my YouTube channel! If you have not subscribed yet, do it now!

My next reviews in terms of new releases are going to be for “GOAT” and “EPIC: Elvis Presley in Concert.” If you are a fan of acronyms, this is a good time to be alive! And if you are a fan of movies and people who talk about them excessively, follow Scene Before either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Solo Mio?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite performance of a celebrity playing themselves? For me, as much as I do not think it is Kevin Smith’s best film, Stan Lee in “Mallrats” was beautiful to see. I love his scene. Also, Bob Barker in “Happy Gilmore” is freaking riot. Let me know your favorite celebrity appearances down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!