By Keily Oakes BBC News Online entertainment staff

And if you hated them you probably will not enjoy Wimbledon, because it shares the same soppy romance and improbable storyline.

Paul Bettany takes to his rom-com role with ease

This type of rom-com tends to provoke extreme reactions: you'll either love it or hate it.

But for the lovers of sentimental comedy this is a treat - with all the right ingredients and a great cast.

Wimbledon, unsurprisingly, revolves around the British tennis championships and the hallowed turf of The All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Tennis aficionados will be able to pick holes in the matches played by the actors, but the director, Richard Loncraine, has already put his hands up to inaccuracies, citing poetic licence.

Paul Bettany plays Peter Colt, a British player who never really had what it takes to win a major tournament, on the brink of quitting after one last championship effort.

In rolls America's bright but bratty tennis upstart in the shape of Lizzie Bradbury, played by Kirsten Dunst.

Kirsten Dunst plays the bratty American Lizzie Bradbury

With the backing of her determined father (Sam Neill), Lizzie arrives in London fully focused on winning the championship.

Peter and Lizzie's subsequent meeting spells a boost to one of their games, while providing an unwelcome distraction to the other.

Comic timing

Much of the humour comes from minor characters, including Bernard Hill and Eleanor Bron as Peter's warring parents, and his 'couch potato' brother, played by James McEvoy.

Bettany gives a solid performance as the less-than-confident Colt, slipping comfortably into the shoes of Hugh Grant who has made the rom-com genre his own in recent years.

The British actor has the charisma and comic timing necessary for the role, and has already proved a hit with the ladies - who will no doubt make up a large part of Wimbledon's audience.

Whether American viewers will root for the British underdog in the face of US opposition remains to be seen.

You get that feeling that any one of America's hot young actresses could have played Lizzie Bradbury, although Dunst is fine in the role while not called on to serve up much in the way of humour.

Friends star Jon Favreau (centre) plays the sports agent with a heart

One inspired piece of casting is that of John Favreau as Colt's ruthless but loveable agent, who suddenly turns up to support one of his star clients once he gets a win under his belt.

Many may recognise him from his regular guest appearance on Friends, where he played Monica's rich boyfriend Pete Becker.

In Wimbledon he plays a caricature of a high-powered sports agent without it feeling cliched - just hilarious.

As previously mentioned, there will be plenty of people who find this film too syrupy but it's also fun, with a fleetingly tense, albeit predictable ending.