What do you get when you wed slapstick physical comedy and lighthearted romantic moments? “Just Married,” an amiable little film that follows Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy as Tom and Sarah, newlyweds on a disastrous European honeymoon.

The film was a pleasant surprise. After being inundated with TV commercials for the film, I feared the worst: that all the good jokes were in the previews. However, “Just Married” works because of the chemistry between its youthful stars and their knack for physical comedy.

While there are plenty of romanticized marriage cliches that the doomed couple is destined to stumble through in this predictable plot, it is an almost poignant look at young love and the challenges involved in making a relationship work.

The film begins near the end of the story as the two lovebirds arrive home after their heinous honeymoon. The hard feelings are apparent as they purposefully trip, bump and gum up each other on the way through the airport. This callousness toward each other completely flies in the face of traditional marriage vows. From there, we get the gist of their courtship and marriage preparations as told in flashback by Tom as he tries to figure out where things went awry.

Both Kutcher and Murphy play appealing characters. Kutcher embodies Tom as a lanky, earnest slacker, who doesn’t quite have his act together, but who has just enough potential to keep Sarah interested. Murphy’s large doe eyes and ready laugh soften Sarah’s sophisticated look and upbringing. And together they can’t go wrong. The chemistry between these two sizzles – it is the core of the film. Without it, “Just Married” would be a certain flop. An interesting side note: Kutcher and Murphy happen to be a couple in real life, but they didn’t get together until after making this film.

The script isn’t brilliant comedic writing, and while there are some laugh out loud one-liners, the funniest jokes are in the blocking. Kutcher’s gangly frame and Murphy’s shorter stature and willingness to embrace awkward positions give the film a leg up on the screenplay.

Director Shawn Levy does right to capitalize on his two stars’ aptitude for physical comedy and realizes that the success of the film rides on the audience’s willingness to root for the relationship. The cast of quirky supporting characters is what one would expect in such a comedy, from Sarah’s uptight, protective father to Tom’s slob of a roommate who always has sex on the brain. Then, of course, there is Sarah’s old boyfriend, the successful Peter Prentis, played by Christian Kane, who is the antithesis of Tom in every way.

While much of the film is fairly predictable, there is something refreshingly innocent in the theme of love conquers all. Ultimately, you want Kutcher and Murphy to win out. They have enough sheer will and passion to overcome obstacle after obstacle, and they infuse the film with enough humor to make the whole process somewhat charming. Who knows, maybe this real life young couple even has what it takes to avoid the pitfalls of a Hollywood relationship in the spotlight. Three stars out of four