Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow..."When We First Met"

When We First Met (2018)

TV-14

Starring Adam Devine, Alexandra Daddario, Shelley Hennig, Andrew Bachelor, Robbie Amell,

Directed by Ari Sandel

The Story:

Noah (Devine) met Avery (Daddario) 3 years ago, and fell head over heels. The problem? After that first date, Noah found himself in the "friend zone" and now he's watching the girl of his dreams get engaged to Ethan (Amell). However, when Noah discovers that he can go back and try and fix that night, he realizes he can make sure that he's the one that winds up with Avery, and not Ethan!

The Rom-Com is alive and well, and thriving on Netflix. :)

Just in time for Valentine's Day comes When We First Met, a fun comedy that comes squarely from the "What if we took Groundhog Day and made it a ...." family of films.

Thankfully, I'm a big fan of that genre of films, and this Netflix Original didn't let me down.

The cast clicks nicely together, and Devine anchors the film with his weary Noah, chasing after the girl of his dreams, regardless of what it takes to woo her.

However, as with all good Groundhog Day-type movies, he's got to learn a few things along the way, and he does.

And it's what he learns along the way that makes this one not necessarily follow the beat for beat pattern that we get used to with these films.

Sure, there's some things he needs to change in his life, but Noah himself is not a bad guy, far from it. :)

And, as with apparently all Robbie Amell Netflix originals, he apparently is required to be shirtless in at least one scene in the movie!

It's a fun one, and doubtful you'll be disappointed.

Final Grade: B Ah heck,  in the spirit of the holiday, B+  :)

These Boys Can Party..."Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates"

Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

Rated R

Starring Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root, Stephanie Faracy, Sugar Lyn Beard, Sam Richardson, Alice Wetterlund,

Directed by Jake Szymanski

The Story:

Mike (Devine) and Dave (Efron) have driven their parents (Root & Faracy) to the edge. Tired of their antics at family functions by showing up single, and drunk, they have an ultimatum for their sister Jeanie's (Beard) wedding in Hawaii. Show up with dates, or don't show up at all. So naturally, the boys do what anyone else would do in this day and age: post an ad on Craigslist.

What could possibly go wrong?

Naturally, this R-rated comedy is rude, crude, silly, stupid, obnoxious...

and funny.

Some of the gags misfire, but more work than don't.

And if you take the crudeness out of the jokes, and they still are funny, then you know it's a pretty good comedy.

This one definitely got more right than Efron's previous, yet similar film this year, Dirty Grandpa.

Much of that credit has to go to Efron and Devine who make a great comedy team. The sleaze is dialed way back in this one, and much of the humor is Mike and Dave's relationship with each other, the rest of their family, and of course, their final selections of Craigslist candidates (Kendrick and Plaza).

The girls have their own skeletons that they are trying to keep hidden from the boys in hopes of an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii, so it's fun as they are tripped up over their lies as well.

It's a great cast, and a whole lot more fun than I was expecting.

Naturally, with all movies, and comedies especially, there were things that could have been better, but overall, it was much better than I had hoped for.

I'm not sure if, or how, they would pull off a sequel, but with this cast of characters, I'd come back for another round.

Final Grade: B-

A Good Career Choice..."The Intern"

The Intern  (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, Zack Pearlman

Written and Directed by Nancy Meyers

The Story:

Ben Whittaker (DeNiro) is a retired widower who misses his wife, and also misses working. When he sees an advertisement for a Senior Intern at a local online fashion company run by Jules Ostin (Hathaway) he decides to plunge back in with both feet. Initially resistant to the intern, can Ben prove to Jules that he still has what it takes to succeed in business.

This is a sweet movie with its heart firmly in the right place.

Nancy Meyers' latest hits all the right notes and clocks in at right about 2 hours, which is a little long for a comedy.

Thankfully, you don't really feel it drag anywhere, and that's a good thing.

While not a gut-busting, laugh a minute comedy, The Intern works as a slice of life with humor, heart, and a touch of sadness.

That said, there is a very funny scene concerning an email in the middle of the film that is hysterical.

The supporting cast is well developed and if anything, possibly underutilized in the film.

However, at the end of the day, the movie is about Ben and Jules, and that relationship shines through from start to finish.

It's a great standalone film, but if the cast were to reunite for a sequel, while unexpected, would definitely be worth a look.

Very glad to have seen this one, and would happily watch it again down the road.

Final Grade: Solid B / B+

Oh The Horror! "The Final Girls"

The Final Girls

Rated PG-13

Starring Taissa Farmiga, Malin Ackerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Alia Shawcat, Thomas Middleditch, Adam DeVine

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson

The Story:

Max (Farmiga) is the daughter of a famous B movie scream queen (Ackerman) who was tragically killed in an auto accident years earlier. Reluctantly attending a viewing of her mom's most famous role, Max and her friends find themselves somehow sucked into the film. At first, Max is thrilled that she gets to spend time with her mom, but as the killer comes calling, none of them may make it out of the movie alive.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love entries into the horror-comedy genre, especially when they are very well done and exceed any and all expectations.

That would be this film.

Not a spoof like the Scary Movie films, but smart and fun like Cabin in the Woods or Scream, this film makes you like it just on the merits that you've enjoyed the genre before and they can take all the obvious clichés and have fun with them and still make an enjoyable film.

I won't say too much about the film to avoid giving away much of the fun that they have making it, but if you like the horror genre, or specifically the slasher films of the 80s, you're really going to like this film.

Or so I hope.

:)

And like those films, I wouldn't even mind the eventual sequel that can't live up to the promise of the original but still brings back a bit of nostalgia.

Final Grade: B+