Cognati per caso

Above expectations I found this a worth viewing movie. In the beginning a bit dull but towards end interesting and funny developments occur. In such an environment they could have added a tiny bit more suspense to it especially with congress in view. But to me overall impression; funnier than some mainstream high budget comedies.

"Brother Nature" is reminiscent of countless comedies, ranging from "What About Bob" to "The Great Outdoors." It's one of those classic formulas where a straight-faced, straight-laced guy (in this case, Taran Killiam, from "SNL") encounters someone who is obnoxiously wacky and has a potential mean streak that no one else ever seems to notice (Bobby Moynihan, also from "SNL").

Killiam's character becomes more and more exasperated, and there are hints at times that Moynihan's character is deliberately sabotaging him a la "The Cable Guy." The first half is quite funny -- Killiam is a weak lead, but Moynihan is hilarious, and has a number of moments that made me laugh out loud.

But they don't really go anywhere with the idea that Moynihan is subversively destroying Killiam (the film seems to hint at it, and then promptly drops it); they also opt for a safe conclusion by fundamentally changing the nature of Moynihan's character, as, in the first half, he's an obnoxious goofball who no one would ever like, but towards the end he's suddenly a calmer, more sympathetic version of the same character, as if his apparently intentional attacks on Killiam earlier in the film never happened.

Whether this is studio intervention (the ending certainly seems like something that would be tacked on after poor test screenings), who knows, but ultimately this movie goes from a 7/10 to a 5/10 simply because its second half egregiously missteps and the movie is never able to recover from it.

Those early scenes with Moynihan, though, reveal great potential for the actor.

I hesitated to watch this film because Lorne Michaels produced it and he's turned SNL into a pathetic political commentary instead of the hilarious show it once was. However, a handful of SNL alumni left Michaels and consistently put out funny movies so I figured why not give this a try. Plus, I have to admit, the casting was pretty decent.

Gillian Jacobs, Bobby Moynihan, and Rachel Harris all have the potential to deliver solid comedic performances if they don't allow themselves to use the platform to express personal views. I was most excited about the additions of Jennie Pierson, and Kumail Nanjiani who both know comedy and are capable of great one liners. Bill Pullman was a unique choice and a pleasant sight. For those of us old enough to remember Space Balls, we know he can add a lot to a funny script.

The premise of the movie instantly reminded me of a mix of Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. I'm willing to bet that I am not the only one who felt this way either. In fact, it seems like a deliberate attempt on the part of Michaels and film executives to ride the coattails of those classics. So, how did they do? As the title of this review says, it really depends on how well you manage your expectations while watching it.

Brother Nature is a cookie cutter comedy that sticks closely to the recipe of the late 90s and early 2000s. That's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I see a lot of films that get categorized as comedies when, in reality, they're anything but funny because they completely ignore some of the key ingredients of humor.

For example, Taran Killam's missteps and blunders are not so vaguely reminiscent of Ben Stiller's performance in the Meet The Parents line of movies. Another more "in your face" example is the character played by Moynihan (Todd Dotchman). Anyone with eyes, ears, and an ounce of common sense can see he really sticks to the comedy template provided by Chris Farley.

The problem is, at least in my opinion, in the latter example Moynihan stuck too close to Farley's recipe for comedic gold and he doesn't have near the talent Farley did to pull it off. In fact, it seems like he was stealing his lines and mannerisms directly from old Farley characters. I almost expected him to gush that brothers don't shake, brothers gotta hug when he met Killam's character. One COULD easily grow annoyed at his barrage of high intensity antics and allow it to ruin the whole movie for them if not managing those expectations.

At the end of the day this movie isn't blazing any new comedic trails and it's probably not going to be a classic on anyone's list, but it's not bad. The cast plays off of one another very well. There's plenty of humorous dialog to keep you entertained providing you don't take things too serious. The one-liners are witty enough and well placed to keep at least a little smile on your face. Yes, a lot of it is recycled SNL material, but watching it allows the viewer a break from all of the garbage going on outside right now. Overall the cast did a good job. Although there should have been more of Nanjiani's trademark low key quips to help even out Moynihan and his antics.

My best advice is to sit back, relax, and give it a fair chance.

Decent watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

Taran Killam, because of his time on SNL, tends to find his ways into roles he doesn't quite match. He's funny, he's a good actor, but he's not always quite enough of whatever he needs to be, in this case: likeable.

And on the opposite end, he's not enough of a control freak, he's kind of a bland middle ground. And he's supposed to be good enough, in some way, for Gillian Jacobs. The start of this movie literally looks more like a setup for the weekend where she dumps him than when he would propose. Though I guess they're not exclusive.

The Killam solution seems to be add someone who is a more infamous actor for being obnoxious, Bobby Moynihan. While Moynihan is good at what he does, I'm usually not a big fan of it: he's usually a lesser version of Chris Farley leaning on being more stupid than fat and physical.

I would imagine that Bobby's character would make almost anyone insane, but this is a long string of abuse humor rivalling "Duplex", and I would argue at a lesser quality.

The movie started out well enough but once all the shenanigans start out at the cabin it just becomes too much. A few other reviews already mentioned how everything is over done, over acted and overreacted! It all just becomes annoying and by the end there isn't a character to like or care about except Riggleman (Nanjiani) in his limited role. Overall, it's worth the watch if you're bored but don't expect much.