Game Night

While unlikely to ever be regarded as a classic side-splittingly hilarious comedy kingpin, Game Night is a refreshing and original mainstream experience, which is far and away the best high-profile Hollywood comedy to come our way in sometime.

Directed by Horrible Bosses writing duo and Vacation director's John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, Game Night takes the one-time nerd only board game night to the big-time as we find ourselves a part of a games night with a difference as Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdam's game loving couple Max and Annie and their collection of friends find themselves trying to rescue Max's successful brother Brooks (played brilliantly against type by Kyle Chandler) from a real-life hostage situation.

It's a high concept central idea and one that works thanks to Daley and Goldstein's assured and often imaginatively constructed direction and the ability for the film to both not take itself too seriously or not playing to the lowest common denominators.

It feels like many moons since a comedy of this ilk wasn't filled with unnecessary profanities, sex jokes and loud-mouthed side characters but thankfully Game Night largely avoids these comedic pitfalls and just focuses itself on telling a genuinely good story with a large collection of jokes that work on their own merits.

It's great to see Daley and Goldstein advance from their Horrible Bosses writing breakthrough and the relative misfire of their updating of the Vacation series as Game Night is without question the most assuredly filmed Hollywood comedy in sometime.

David Fincher himself would be proud as the duo give the film a visual flair and pizazz not often found in such genre films, from the way in which they shoot some establishing shots like a real-life board game or an eye-popping keeping's off sequence in a glamorous house, Game Night is filled with visual gems that when combined with Drive and Neon Demon composer Cliff Martinez's score, create a memorable mood and setting.

Coinciding with Daley and Goldstein's wins is the work of the films cast. Jason Bateman is as Jason Batemany as you'd expect but surrounded by the likes of Rachel McAdams (who looks like she's never had this much fun) and a downright hilarious Jesse Plemon's as Max and Annie's super awkward and potentially serial-killer like neighbour Gary, the whole cast elevate each other's work to a level that makes you hope this isn't the last game night we will be spending with this colourful bunch.

Final Say -

Like any good games night, Daley and Goldstein's film provides a lot of fun, laughs and genuinely memorable times. Game Night is Hollywood comedy filmmaking done right and by avoiding the problems that have faced its recent cohorts (overlong running times, unnecessary vulgarity, annoying characters); Game Night becomes a highly recommendable night out at the movies.

4 Fabergé egg's out of 5

This movie was a great comedy that also kept me guessing to the end. A lot of comedies turn me off lately because they rely too much on adolescent humor that's gross or mainly sexual jokes. This movie got laughs the old fashioned way and felt like a smart Cary Grant / Katherine Hepburn comedy. It also made me think of the types of British comedies you see Simon Pegg in.

There are a lot of reviewers who panned this quite harshly and when I read those reviews I feel like they were watching a different movie. I'd be interested to know how old these reviewers were - perhaps older people will enjoy this more than people in their 20s? (I'm in my mid-40s). Some complained about the acting - I think everyone was spot on. Some complained the plot was predictable - I actually found myself surprised at several turns the plot took and found it quite funny when the audience was clued into new information that the characters hadn't figured out yet.

Rachel mcAdams had great chemistry with Jason Bateman and the supporting cast were each terrific. The characters were well drawn and funny, and the side plots were all engaging and humorous. I was impressed with the writing and acting, and the pace of the movie never made me look at my watch to see how long was left. I definitely recommend it.

This was a very enjoyable comedy. Plenty of jokes hit their mark and the audience loved it from the laughter I heard in the session. To be upfront I some advanced session tickets from the Australian distributor, won in a competition. So we all saw it for free, but if I wanted to see a good comedy this one is worth paying to watch.

The humour is good, nothing too highbrow but you won't find any crass humour here, just good fun throughout the film.

The film does have its silly moments and the twists towards the end stretch believability, but you don't really care as you don't watch this film to critique, but just to enjoy the ride for a few hours. The characters are not deep, but you quickly grow to like them all or feel sorry for them as the film flows on.

Enjoyable, good clean fun with the odd bit of blood, that is even used to humourous effect.

7/10

GAME NIGHT may not be a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it's definitely a genuine blast and an entertaining ride from beginning to the very end (seriously, stay for the post-credits scene!) The rare major studio comedy that actually feels like a film, rather than a soulless exercise in assembly-line filmmaking, thanks to such creative choices like Cliff Martinez's thumping score and Barry Peterson's cinematography, which not only introduces new locations as if zooming in on a board game piece, but also sports a surprisingly well-executed long take. Lamorne Morris and Billy Magnussen are some of the obvious standouts among the film's enjoyable cast of characters, but Jesse Plemons is the true MVP, stealing every single one of his scenes with ease. The film isn't without its problems, with the convoluted third act jumping the shark almost to the point of parody, and not all of the jokes land (although most do thanks to the cast's great comedic timing), but nonetheless GAME NIGHT makes for a perfectly fun time at the movies.

This hilarious gonzo comedy has a sharp script, clever direction, and an excellent cast. In Game Night, writer Mark Perez and directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have crafted a tightly structured story with little visual tricks that turn out to be significant. That said, the movie really lives and dies by its cast, and this is a top-notch ensemble. Morris -- dependably funny on TV's New Girl -- gets laughs from his bubbling jealousy and dead-on Denzel Washington impersonation, clicking well with Bunbury. Horgan drily delivers as someone who's far too smart for her date; you'll likely wish there was more of her in the film. Magnussen is spectacularly idiotic as Ryan, which is a gift. Open-hearted blockheads are always welcome in comedies such as this, and Magnussen -- who's shown his dramatic chops in the likes of Birth of the Dragon -- hits it out of the park. Plemons' dead-eyed Gary generates big laughs by doing as little as possible. His stony "I see you" face and monotone delivery steal every scene he's in. (At one point, he happily invites the group into his house ... and, with a frozen smile, slowly backs into the darkness.)

And as Max and Annie, Bateman and McAdams have great chemistry. Their timing together, their small reactions to each other; they really read as a couple who love each other, have a lot in common, and accept each other's quirks. Oh, and they're really funny. Bateman, as usual, is an effective straight man with subdued wit. McAdams gets to be a little wackier than usual and has some superb reaction moments. They're an appealing pair, and we're happy to follow them through this gleefully bloody comedy with a fair amount of twists and genuine laughs.