Wer ist Daddy?

'Father Figures' is no great movie. But it isn't a bad movie either. At least not as bad as the critics called it. Its, at its very core, a very watchable comedy, that, believe it or not, has got a heart too.

'Father Figures' Synopsis: Upon learning that their mother has been lying to them for years about their allegedly deceased father, two fraternal twin brothers hit the road in order to find him.

'Father Figures' is a tale of two brothers, who go on a journey to find their real dad, but end up exploring each other more than they could've imagined. And this story, though monotonous after a point, has some funny jokes that land & the banter between its brothers, has moments that evoke mirth & some genuine emotion too. I found myself emotionally connected in the film's concluding moments, which I least expected too. Having said that, there is no denying that 'Father Figures' gets repetitive & even some of its jokes don't land. Also, the length could've been trimmed by 10-15 minutes.

Justin Malen's Screenplay is a mixed bag, but there are some nice things here, that leave a mark. Lawrence Sher's Direction is adequate. Cinematography is satisfactory. Editing could've been tighter. Art & Costume Design are standard.

Performance-Wise: Owen Wilson & Ed Helms are extremely likable. Both of the terrific actors add a lot to their roles and excel in the comedic and emotional bits. The Legendary Glenn Close appears in a cameo as the mother of the boys and as usual, lends grace to the part. Among the dads, Terry Bradshaw is fun to watch, J. K. Simmons is okay & The Great Christopher Walken gets barely anything to do. Ving Rhames & Katt Williams are funny.

On the whole, 'Father Figures' is an entirely watchable comedy, that has its pros and cons. Not a bad Sunday noon watch!

Chose this as the best of a supposedly bad lot when I had a free rental. Went into it expecting to give up after ten minutes.

Just finished it and really enjoyed it. Obviously there are twists and turns which aren't too hard to see coming, but it had moments of real emotional heft. It was also pretty funny. Nice just to see two good actors making a decent film.

For the first 30-40 minutes it felt like a silly, pointless film. But it really picked up and became a funny feel good movie. I rented this from Redbox and it was definitely worth the rental

No idea why this movie is getting such low ratings from some? Maybe because its a unique way of telling a story? Anyway I enjoyed this little gem, i didn't walk out of the theatre with a new six pack from belly howling, but i was entertained the whole way through.

Sometimes its best to watch for yourself and make your own mind up and give the reviews a back seat

Ready for another mainstream comedy that many critics seem to abhor but yours quite enjoyed, if only because of his undying affinity for its leads?

Well, here it comes, Owen Wilson and Ed Helms offering their on-screen usual - a jovial freespirited guy vs. stuck-up and rigid but successful in life type - based on which they have managed to build quite long and successful screen careers, at least judging by the number of movies released.

And on their journey together, they will meet, of course, a motley bunch of colorful characters played by Glenn Close, J.K. Simmons, Katt Williams, ex-NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken et al.

So far, so formulaic, I know. But guess what. Although the two leading men really do their usual schtick, and the approach is the usual too, "Father Figure" actually works.

I may not be that big on sugarcoated finale, but this may be this one rare instance of unasked, unneeded mainstream comedy where critics are actually wrong and have underestimated the project just because how generic it looks on the face of it.

You see, "Father Figures" may be a generic and mainstream by form factor, but there's something better beating at its heart.

Looking bad, I can't call it inventive or LOL-filled, exactly, but at least the makers have hit the bullseye at what they were aiming for.

Which means screwball comedy for the 2017's crowd: two chatty guys having an adventure together, meeting a bunch of interesting people on the way. Without an inner pressure to produce laughs but to involve the viewer in their lives.

And most of the events and people did feel more interesting than usual in this (sub)genre because of the surprisingly character-based approach where most everybody gets room to breathe and introduce one's natural charm to the audience, which is a huge win for the movie as a whole.

And the cast really has a huge amount of charm to spare, especially Bradshaw whose performance is so natural and enjoyable that I hardly believed this man is a retired sportsman who has only done a limited number of small movie roles.

All in all, looks like everybody had fun and also believed in the material. I only did not care about the rather soulless section with Christopher Walken - but it's short and you can't always get everything, can you?

By the way, this is the directing debut of one Lawrence Sher, a long-time comedy cinematographer who filled that job also in "The Hangover" trilogy (starring Ed Helms).

I am afraid to check how many times I have used the words "mainstream", "generic" and "the usual" in this review - this doesn't bode well for the movie, surely - but it's actually not bad.

Yes, there are many better comedies out there, but "Father Figures" may have just enough charm and heart to win you over for a 113 minute joyride.