Reviewed by Russ Simmons

“When in Rome” is the best romantic fantasy of the year!

Don’t be too surprised to see that quote, or one very much like it, on the billboard ads for this whimsical Hollywood offering.

Here’s the kicker: “Leap Year” and “Youth in Revolt” are the only other romantic comedies to come out so far this year. The only fantasy has been “The Tooth Fairy.”

Yes, that first sentence is a case of damning with faint praise.

It really takes a deft touch to pull off this sort of thing and while it’s well meaning and has a very likable cast, “When in Rome” is a clichéd romantic fantasy.

Kristen Bell (“Couples Retreat”) stars as Beth, a workaholic who has become the youngest curator at New York’s storied Guggenheim Museum.

Problem is, she’s never been able to have a sustained romantic relationship.

Her life takes a momentous turn when she travels to Rome to attend her younger sister’s wedding. There, she meets a handsome and charming fellow named Nick (Josh Duhamel from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”), her new brother-in-law’s best man. The sparks fly.

But when she sees him with another woman and perceives him to be a cad, she has a bit too much to drink and goes wading in a nearby fountain.

This particular work of watery statuary apparently has magic powers. Beth steals some coins from this “fountain of love,” and the men who threw them succumb to a magic spell. They fall helplessly in love with her.

Once Beth returns to her home in New York, she discovers that these strangers (and, yes, they’re strange) have followed her to the Big Apple.

Her unwelcome suitors include Antonio (Will Arnett from “G-Force”), a struggling artist, Lance (Jon Heder from “Napoleon Dynamite”), an annoying street magician, Gale (Dax Shepard from “Zathura”) a preening male model, and “The Sausage King” (Danny DeVito from TV’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” in an un-credited role).

Nick is smitten with her too and Beth returns his affection. But when she learns about the spell, she assumes that Nick is a victim of it as well. Beth then tries to figure out how to undo the hex.

The talented cast tries gamely to breathe life into this awkwardly directed farce and their enthusiasm is often contagious.

But even though much of it takes place in the Eternal City, “When in Rome” won’t have much of a shelf life. (PG-13) Rating: **1/2

* Avoid at all costs
** Only if you're bored
*** Good movie
**** Well worth your time
***** Be sure to see it