Baggage Claim

Even for indiscriminate passengers looking to pass the time aboard international flights, Baggage Claim isn’t a favorable option over the in-flight magazine.

The concept of this uninspired romantic comedy might resemble the recent silly comedy What’s Your Number, but the execution feels more like a rejected sitcom pilot.

The story follows Montana (Paula Patton), a bumbling flight attendant whose life hits some turbulence. She’s feeling pressure from her overbearing mother (Jenifer Lewis) to settle down and get married, especially as the wedding approaches for her younger sister (Lauren London).

So the gold-digging Montana begins taking the ill-conceived advice of co-workers Gail (Jill Scott) and Sam (Adam Brody) to track down her rich ex-boyfriends by working flights on which they are booked, regardless of what federal aviation regulations say.

Of course, they are a hodgepodge of selfish and arrogant types, such as a conceited musician (Tremaine Neverson), a smarmy politician (Taye Diggs) and a slick-talking businessman (Djimon Hounsou).

All the while, she maintains a friendship with her neighbor (Derek Luke), who dispenses more useful advice while struggling in his own relationship with a high-maintenance girlfriend (Christina Milian).

The screenplay by director David Talbert (First Sunday) — which is apparently based on his own novel — manages a few scattered laughs but makes some awkward transitions between broad comedy and sentimentality. It’s almost completely lacking in surprise and charm.

Patton has an endearing screen presence in the lead role, even if her character ultimately is too clumsy and desperate, and completely oblivious to the flaws of the men in her life. However, despite a deep ensemble cast, the film is overloaded with quirky and obnoxious supporting characters, some of which seem more designed to cater to comedians making cameos than anything else.

At any rate, the film is aggressively shallow and superficial in its attitude toward contemporary romance, and it hardly presents a realistic portrayal of the plight of single women. But at least it’s equally insulting to members of both genders.

Baggage Claim might feature a parade of pretty faces and trendy fashions, but in terms of narrative integrity, the film never gets off the ground.

Rated PG-13, 96 minutes.