Honeymoon in Vegas

Andrew Bergman directs and writes comedies in Hollywood, but the exciting thing about his output is that you never quite know what you are letting yourself in for. Bergman is an uneven auteur who rarely makes entirely conventional comedies. "Honeymoon in Vegas", however, is a relatively straight comedy about the private detective Jack, whose mother in heaven has forbidden him ever to marry, as it only brings misfortune. His sweet girlfriend Betsy will no longer put up with that, however, so Jack realises that if he wants to keep her, he will have to eat humble pie.

Jack and Betsy go on a romantic lovers' holiday to Las Vegas, where they are to be married. They just never get that far. Early in their stay, Jack loses several thousand dollars to the professional gambler Tommy Korman. Korman is willing to strike a deal with Jack. A weekend with Betsy will wipe out the debt. Betsy agrees very reluctantly, but her reluctance gradually fades, for Tommy Korman behaves impeccably in every way, a true gentleman. Jack, on the other hand, quickly regrets the arrangement, but by then it is already too late, for Korman has taken Betsy to his estate in Hawaii.

Unfortunately, Bergman does not dare to go all the way and let Korman be a thoroughly decent guy who genuinely loves Betsy. He of course turns out to be a domineering thug, and then there can hardly be any other outcome than Jack and Betsy ending up together. Nicholas Cage is not altogether bad as the wimpy Jack, who takes a beating in pursuit of his dream girl.