Directed By: Jason Moore
Written By: Paula Pell
Cinematography By: Barry Peterson
Editor: Lee Haxall
Cast: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Samantha Bee, John Leguizamo, Bobby Moynihan, James Brolin, Diane Wiest, Greta Lee, Heather Matarazzo, Kate McKinnon, Jon Glaser, Chris Parnell, Paula Pell, Dan Byrd, John Lutz, Brian D'arcy James
Two sisters decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home. --This is an entertaining film, but one I beleove most will have more expectations for. Rather than what actually happens On the screen.
Paula Pell wrote the two roles of the sisters just for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
The film is hilarious and the whole cast is up for the challenge. That are all on their A game. Unfortunately the story is thin and at times the script leaves them With little to do
As the film seems to want to always be on with the jokes. That it rarely if ever takes a break between them to let the film, characters and audience breathe, to lay some normal ground work. Instead it feels like each scene tries to push as many jokes as it can out. Even when not needed. Luckily it works more times then it doesn't, but when it doesn't it leaves an awkward silence or break for the audience. Not to say the script is bad. It just feels like It might have needed some reinforcement.
Now of course our two leads. Tina Fey and Amy poehler is what the audience comes to see and they don't disappoint. Though some credit should be given to the supporting cast of all stars. Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, Bobby Moynihan, Kate McKinnon and Samantha bee. All lend expert support and are hilarious in their own right. As they should as cast members of the leads stomping grounds of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Even though Samantha bee is more a daily show regular. The most surprising hilarious performance goes to John Cena. Who also earlier this year showed off his impressive comedic chops in the Amy Schumer comedy TRAINWRECK. He doesn't have as much to do here but his role is just as vital.
The film pretty much is a send-up of the parents are away so let's have a big party. Only here the joke is the characters are way too old to be behaving in this way. They are old enough to be the uptight parents and quite a few of the characters are, but through this party they are able to have reckless abandon and work through their issues. Which is another kind of familiar story cliche they mine for a bunch of comedy.
The film adds it's perimeters and framing devices. By having the women's issues come into play. Tina Fey the party animal who has a problem with responsibility. Even though she has a daughter, who means everything to her. Amy Poehler's character is the good girl who seems to be obsessive compulsive and wanting to fix everyone and everything. Who never pays attention to herself or her own problems. The film attempts for Fey to learn the value of responsibility and Poehler to have a romance with a good guy.
The film isn't heavy, but it is hilarious when it is on fire. There are just a few too many pauses. Meanwhile it doesn't mix the reality or seriousness to well with the comedy. It has too many scenes where the Joel's go on too long when if stopped earlier would have been fine and had the same impact.
Understand that I am a fan of most of the cast of this film. So I was really looking forward to the film. I believe it is good. I just have too many expectations for it. For as good and relented as the cast is, I just felt it should have been better and funnier. It's not a bad film far from it. It just felt disappointing to a degree, but not a disappointment.
Though I was happy to see Tina Fey in a sexier role then usual. Instead of her usual uptight, dorky joker. It let's her have comedic range and let's the leads do their familiar, but kind of switch from the type of characters they usually play. As a man who loves fey's brand of comedy and comedic presence. This is a victory more for her.
Like the show the two stars were on Saturday night live the longevity and humor of this movie and it’s humor lasts in the moment and jsit long enough to make an i torsion before it moves on. Anytime you might watch it again it will bring back memories. Even if it doesnMt quite stick around as a bonafide classic
Though is well remembered by those who will enjoy it. As it is more of a good time.
The film is much funnier then their previous comedic collaboration BABY MAMA. it is also funnier then the recently released STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
The film is a wild ride, that you can't take any of it's weaknesses seriously as it is not designed to be that type of film.
Grade: C+
"It's also funnier than Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Ha ha, take that, Star Wars!
ReplyDeleteI liked it, but as you point out, it drags a little in places and that mostly comes from the problem of today's comedies always being 2 hours long. It's just too long for a movie like this. Some stuff could have been trimmed out in a scripting stage, and sometimes folks behind the scenes have so much fun shooting long adlibbed takes or repartee that they leave too much of it in the movie. This film does not suffer as much from that as the later Austin Powers films did, or some of the Apatow stuff. But the party does go on way too long.
Also, the Geerts just disappear from the movie. They get no closure. Because of this, they just become Mr. and Mrs. Plot Contrivance who are no real adversaries, just set up for situations and climaxes. They drop off paint and just leave. There should have been some final moment with them, and I'm suspicious one might have been cut.
But that's the thing: there are also maybe too many adversaries in this movie. The parents, the Geerts, Maya Rudolph's character.
I was really surprised at the way it ended. The person who ends up with the house at the end really comes out of left field. And the "moral" that "home is not a house" feels emotionally wrong to me, who still misses the house he grew up in.