PLAYDATE (2025)

 

Directed By: Luke Greenfield

Written By: Neil Goldman 

Cinematography: Darren Tiernan

Editor: Joe Mitacek 

Cast: Kevin James, Alan Ritchinson, Sarah Chalke, Isla Fisher, Alan Tudyk, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Root, Banks Pierce, Benjamin Pajak 

Brian has just been fired from his job. He becomes a stay-at-home dad. He accepts a playdate invitation from another stay-at-home dad who turns out to be a loose cannon.

————————————————————————

This film is silly and pretty much knows it’s audience wish I could be more of a family film as it seems like it would play more, but it does have its fair share of violence, bad language, and adult juvenile humor. Though strangely it seems like its perfect audience would be teenagers and adults who just like juvenile humor.

It’s an action comedy that once it gets down to the plot line is silly, but I found this from to be quite a guilty pleasure as I found it constantly hilarious throughout no matter how stupid it might seem at times 

What helps is that a lot of the supporting characters are so ridiculous and funny. You wish they had longer screen time or would come back into the film after their scenes are done. Like Isla Fisher’s character you wish as always that there was more of her throughout.

Well, Kevin James plays with his typical type of humor lead character. It does appear that he’s having fun and is affable whereas Alan Ritchinson who takes more of the action sequences is perfectly cast as he reminds one of Sean William Scott when he first came out where it seemed like everything he did even his facial expressions Are humorous only Alan Ritchinson looks like a more muscular version, but has that same comedic and silly spirit that Sean William Scott has and some rules and makes it all his own so that it might remind some people who watched the show BLUE MOUNTAIN STATE what Ritchinson can do specially with an inspired committed character.

This is a film made up of humorous moments that all going into the story, though the moments are more valuable ultimately than the story this is also more of a male bonding film so that fathers and sons watching it together can definitely feel something special watching this film as there are female characters, but they are more put into the background.

This film is a harmless time waster where if the trailer or poster intrigues you this is definitely your type of movie, but if not, this isn’t going to necessarily win you over unless you’re a fan of the lead actors 

It feels on the same level as Hulu yearly John Cena, buddy action comedies only this time playing on Amazon prime so they’re getting their own version 

Grade: C

STRAYS (2023)

 

Directed By: Josh Greenbaum

Written By: Dan Perrault 

Cinematography: Tim Orr

Editor: Greg Hayden, Sabrina Plisco and David Rennie 

Cast: Will Forte, Brett Gelman and Voices By: Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell, Randall Park, Isla Fisher, Sofia Vergara, Rob Riggle, Josh Gad, Greta Lee 

An abandoned dog teams up with other strays to get revenge on his former owner.

THE BEACH BUM (2019)

Written & Directed By: Harmony Korine 
Cinematography: Benoit Debie 
Editor: Douglas Crise 


Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Snoop Dogg, Jonah Hill, Martin Lawrence, Isla Fisher, Jimmy Buffet, Stefania LaVie Owen, JoMarie Payton 

A rebellious stoner named Moondog lives life by his own rules.

KEEPING UP WITH THE JONSES (2016)

Directed By: Greg Mottola 
Written By: Michael Lasieur 
Cinematography: Andrew Dunn 
Editor: David Rennie 

Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Gal Gadot, Patton Oswalt, Ming Zhao, Matt Walsh, Kevin Dunn, Bobby Lee, Ari Shaffir 


A suburban couple becomes embroiled in an international espionage plot when they discover that their seemingly perfect new neighbors are government spies.

HOT ROD (2007)

Directed By: Akiva Schaffer 
Written By: Pam Brady 
Cinematography By: Andrew Dunn 
Editor: Malcolm Campbell 


Cast: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Isla Fisher, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Sissy Spacek, Ian McShane, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell, Britt Irvin 


Rod Kimble is a naïf, a slacker living in a small US town with his mom, his younger brother, and his stepfather whose respect he craves. He also misses his dead dad, whom he thinks was Evel Knievel's back-up. Rod, a man-child, believes that he is a stunt man. When his stepfather needs an operation, with help from his brother and his slacker pals, Rod hatches a plan to set a school-bus-jumping record on his moped. First, his crew and he have to raise money to rent the buses and build the ramp. Trouble is, Rod's inept at his chosen career. Looming failure is complicated by the return of Denise, Rod's next-door neighbor and secret heartthrob, who is home from college. Is public humiliation at hand?

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016)

Written & Directed By: Tom Ford 
Based on the Novel By: Austin Wright 
Cinematography By: Seamus McGarvey 
Editor: Joan Sobel 


Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gylenhaal, Michael Shannon, Armie Hammer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Laura Linney, Isla Fisher, Karl Glusman, Michael Sheen, Andrea Riseborough, Jena Malone 

 A "story inside a story," in which the first part follows a woman named Susan who receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband, a man whom she left 20 years earlier, asking for her opinion. The second element follows the actual manuscript, called "Nocturnal Animals," which revolves around a man whose family vacation turns violent and deadly. It also continues to follow the story of Susan, who finds herself recalling her first marriage and confronting some dark truths about herself.

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY (2016)

Directed By: Louis Lettier 
Written By: Sacha Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston & Peter Baynham 
Story By: Sacha Baron Cohen & Phil Johsnston 
Cinematography By: Oliver Wood 
Editor: Jonathan Amos, Evan Henke, Debra Neil-Fisher & James Thomas 


Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Penelope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Tasmin Egerton, Scott Adkins, David Harewood, Annabelle Wallis, Gabourey Sidibe, Barkhad Abdi 

MI6's top assassin has a brother. Unfortunately for him, he's a football hooligan from the town of Grimsby. Nobby has everything a man from the poor English fishing town of Grimsby could want - 9 children and the most attractive girlfriend in northern England. There's only one thing missing in his life: his little brother, Sebastian. After they were adopted by different families as children, Nobby spent 28 years searching for him. Upon hearing of his location, Nobby sets off to reunite with his brother, unaware that not only is his brother an MI6 agent, but he's just uncovered a plot that puts the world in danger. On the run and wrongfully accused, Sebastian realizes that if he is going to save the world, he will need the help of its biggest idiot.