Thursday, July 7, 2016

"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" review

In preparation for reviewing 'Mike and Dave,' I did some research on the director, Jake Szymanski, because I was not familiar with his work. I had a good laugh when I found out why. Aside from a critically successful sports comedy called 7 Days in Hell, he hasn't done a lot. The biggest project on his resume was Step Brothers, the film starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, for which Szymanski catered. I don't mean to put down catering; it's too important a role on a film set. It was funny simply because it caught me off guard. But Szymanski must have picked up a thing or two on set because, in a similar way, I was caught off guard by how much I genuinely enjoyed 'Mike and Dave.'

I was the most caught off guard by how invested I found myself in the almost toon-like characters, despite the formulaic and uneven premise of Mike and Dave needing nice girls for their sister's wedding who can "keep them in check."

This is due to the devoted roster. Zac Efron and Adam DeVine have a finely tuned chemistry. The way they play off each other and zip lines back and forth is reminiscent of Ferrell and Reilly. Likewise, there is a lively spark between Audrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick that would give Tina Fey and Amy Poehler déjà vu. It's hard to resist the quirky charm of this talented, young cast.

My investment in these characters, however, was not easily won. The first act is a bit clunky. The setup feels rushed in a too eager attempt at bringing these four grown children together. To its credit though, the filmmakers know that these actors bring the laughs and they want their audience to spend the most time with them as possible. One can hardly blame them. The raunchiest and wackiest gags come later in the film, which is also when we start to feel the unexpected heartbeat.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is a fun, unexpectedly heartfelt summer comedy that's worth your time.

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