Hors contrôle

OK, this is my second official review on IMDb for a film that's had a bit of a bashing by some, a little bit intimidating if I'll be honest. Part of me wants to agree with the guys and gals that have given this sub-5. It doesn't have the depth that some comedies have, not all the characters are likable, some of their arcs are frankly unbelievable, and I have no idea whether some of the scenes are even slightly possible. If yes, sign me up, you'll know which scenes if you watch the film!

However

Did I laugh my ass off for the best part of an hour and a half? Yes. Was I stone cold sober? No. Would I watch it again? Absolutely.

Effron doesn't display the awesome acting you might be expecting from some of his other films, but he's definitely funny (if a little crass and childish at times, but hey it's called "Mike and Dave need Wedding Dates, what are you expecting?!?? My regular movie buddy even turned to me and said so much).

There's romance, there's comedy and, kind of, adventure (not sure on the one film classifiers at IMDb). Focus on the comedy. Accept that this is childish. Pour yourself a glass of something yummy, and just enjoy it for its silliness. Simple fun to be enjoyed by anyone who can see past some of the stupid lines, nonsensical plot themes and obvious set ups. Still enjoyed it though!

Looking through reviews I can see that I might be an exception, but I loved the movie. The story is about two brothers who need to find dates for their little sister's Hawaii wedding and make an ad. The two wild girls pretend to be good girls so they are chosen.

And it is hilarious all the way through. I was really laughing out loud through most of it. It is not some super clever comedy but it makes one laugh and this is what I need from this kind of movie. We live in a bit of depressing times so it is nice to see this kind of comedy just to relax and laugh.

The characters are all great. Fun people, made me remember the good times of living with my best friend and doing crazy things. And of course the fact that the actors are all talented comedians makes it even better.

They think they have just made them all better parties, but to their parents and to admittedly, reality, brothers Mike (Zac Efron) and Dave (Adam Devine) have only ruined all of the family events they've participated in for their wild party style. So when its Jaine's (Sugar Lyn Beard) turn to get married the family is taking no risks: Mike and Dave are to bring wedding dates to the wedding in order to be kept at bay. That's when Alice (Anna Kendrick) and Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) put on the façade of being nice and ordinary girls to score a free weekend in Hawaii after discovering an advert from the two brothers. Yet when the chaotic spirits of both pairs start to explode, an apparently normal weekend turns into a ludicrous series of events.

"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" has good and charismatic leads, with natural comedic timing and an appropriately funny cast built around them with a script that has some effortlessly funny gags working. Yet, a fair amount of laughs are not enough to surmount the film's lack of heart, which often transpires into both annoying and unmotivated sequences and humor which is close to being mean spirited.

What severely lacks from the film is a fresh and interesting comedic voice. As much as you feel the director's passion, I couldn't help but feel very cold about the style and visual choices the film makes. It is directed with almost no life, it doesn't feel alive and breathing, the shot choice is for the majority so basic it made my head ache at some point. There aren't any passages in the film where you feel inspired filmmaking and character or story being given a chance to flow. The editing is very mechanical and brings the film into feeling more like a series of gags, which might be occasionally good, but lack any kind of drive given the very predictable and clichéd script.

Still, there's no denying the talent almost everybody has for comedy and even when handed what for most is very average material they manage to elevate it and thanks to what is sure to be a lot of improvisation they make the scenes that work, work really well and transcend what are otherwise deeply problematic character development elements. Efron's career has lately been all about these R-rated comedies and I have to admit I am one who really enjoys his effort in these: he is a great screen presence and always brings a palpable irony to the scenes. Adam Devine at this point is an enigma for me, I have no idea where he'll go in the future, that is because he has some really borderline annoying stuff here, but I don't know if it's thanks to him or the gag in itself I was never brought to a breaking point. I enjoyed probably all of his beats and he had many different ones to bring alive, succeeding in all of that variety.

What is frustrating about the movie is how standard it feels and how much everything around it is striving to be better, but what we end up is this basic studio comedy that goes through every single beat we except and leaves the audience with little passion at all. The premise is right, the talent behind cast well, the script is trying to go to fresh places occasionally, but there is an incredible aura of average all around that simply flattens the film to the point of annoyance. Not to mention the ridiculous quantity of screeching women all over the place that had me almost covering my ears.

"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" is a film that delivers some good and at times great laughs thus succeeding a laugh prompter, yet a comedy film it lacks any depth of character or story to make it live any further than its closing credits unfortunately.

I can't believe I'm about to write this line.

MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES is the funniest movie I have seen this summer (so far).

There, I said it and I don't even feel like I need a shower.

I know - I'm surprised, too.  MIKE & DAVE is a pretty funny movie of the over-top, gross out type - think THE HANGOVER or NEIGHBORS,  

M&D tells the story of...well...Mike and Dave (Adam Devine and Zach Efron) who think they are just "great partiers" at the various weddings they go to - as seen through their eyes in the opening credits, only to discover "the rest of the story" from their parents (Stephanie Faracy and the great, underused Stephen Root) - they go out of control to disastrous results. The remedy?  Bring dates to their sister's destination wedding.

They go about it by putting an ad on Craigslist that goes viral.  Enter into it Alice and Tatiana (Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza) two ladies that party even harder than Mike and Dave who B.S. their way to the wedding pretending to be shy, demure and ladylike.  As you can imagine, chaos ensues.

The key to this type of movie is the performances of the leads and in these 4, they are in good hands.  Aubrey Plaza commands the first part of this movie as she is over the top and inappropriate from the start.  She had me laughing early and often.  Zach Efron joined in gamely and Adam Devine does what i think Adam Devine does, be the dimwit.  I gotta admit that this act wears thin on me, but is serviceable here.  Kendrick draws the short straw on this part of the movie as she seemed to be trying to hard in a part that was underwritten.

And then an interesting thing happens...as usually occurs in these types of films, they leads find their "hearts" and the shenanigans tone down.  When this happens, the relationship between Kendrick and Efron shine (I'd really love to see a movie with just these two) their heart and sincerity come to center stage and I really start to root for them.  Fortunately, for me at least, this means that Devine needed to tone down his act, which I was grateful for.  The unfortunate side effect is that Plaza had to tone hers down as well, and she became somewhat of a background player in the 2nd half of the film after carrying the first half.

Comedic movies often rise and fall on the performances of the supporting players, the can be fun (see THE HANGOVER) or they can be non-descript (see the recent GHOSTBUSTERS), fun works, non-descript doesn't.  This movie has fun supporting players starting with the afore-mentioned Root as Mike & Dave's father.   Add to that Alice Wetterlund's bi-sexual Cousin Terry, Mary Holland's uptight Maid of Honor Becky and Lavell Crawford's Best-Man Keith, they all have their moments to shine.  But, for the me, the real unexpected surprise was Sugar Lyn Beard as the Bride, Jeanie.  She was inappropriately hilarious in a role that could have been one note, but wasn't.  Only Sam Richardson's groom, Eric, was not fun, but he wasn't supposed to be - and he wasn't

Is this movie an Academy Award winner?  Well...no.  Is it a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a warm summer evening - heck, yes!  And isn't that what summer comedies should be?  I think so.

7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)

Zac Efron has starred in no shortage of comedies lately. With Dirty Grandpa and the Bad Neighbours franchise under his belt, he is really starting to flex his comedic muscles (so to speak). Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he stars in this hilarious 'loosely based on true events' romp, Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates.

Zac plays Dave Stangle, a dim-witted lad who is in the alcohol business with his equally dim older brother Mike (played by Adam Devine, who you will remember from Pitch Perfect and Modern Family). Both are notorious for their destructive behaviour at family get-togethers so when they are confronted by their fed-up father to bring sensible dates to their sister's upcoming destination wedding, they are on a mission to find the perfect girls.

They end up with Alice and Tatiana (played by Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza respectively) who are far from wholesome but manage to convince the boys that they are. It's not until various unconventional situations occur that the ladies' true colours are revealed to the Stangle brothers who are now facing the dilemma of potentially ruining yet another family event.

This film is what you would expect – a lot of crude humour and ridiculousness so don't expect anything more. My biggest fear was that (like most movies of this nature) the best bits are all in the trailer, leaving the film empty of anything fresh however I can safely say there are plenty other laughs to be had throughout. No Oscar nominations here, but a fun and easy watch.

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