I have been singing praises for Zac Efron for a while! Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Johnny Depp weren't taken seriously because they were thought of as only 'pretty boys'. Well, I think Zac is on the same boat: he has amazing talent, and I think he could have serious Oscar consecration in the future, but so many people still think of him as only a 'pretty boy'. Needless to say, when I saw that not only Zac Efron, but Adam Devine and Anna Kendrick were in this new comedy, I was pretty excited. Is this movie a staple of comedy gold, furthering theses actors' careers, or is this joining the list of disappointing summer films this year?
Lets find out how 'sick' "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" is! Starring Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza, directed by Jake Szymanski.
Mike (Adam Devine), and Dave (Zac Efron) are two fun-loving brothers that like to have a good time. Unfortunately, their idea of a good time usually ends up with destroying any event they go to. So, when their little sister is getting married, their parents come up with the ultimatum that they have to show up with respectable dates to keep them in line. Alice (Anna Kendrick) and Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) pretend to be their "goody two shoes" dates to get a free trip to Hawaii. Mike and Dave think that they have the perfect girls by their side when, in reality, Alice and Tatiana are just as crazy as they are - maybe even worse!
Like I said before, I am a huge fan of Zac Efron; I think he is a great talent full of potential. I also love Adam Devine and Anna Kendrick. Adam is hilarious in his show "Workaholics" and he was also great in "Pitch Perfect". Anna Kendrick was also great in "Pitch Perfect" and many other films. So, with this cast and this great idea, I thought this was a recipe for a stellar comedy. Well, while this movie did make me laugh a couple of times, it was far from anything great.
The biggest problem I had with this movie was that none of these characters seemed like real people, they're so over the top and crazy that I had a hard time relating to any of them. I know that they're supposed to be crazy because that's funny, but frankly it mostly came off as annoying. Aubrey Plaza played Tatiana and, while I think Aubrey is a beautifully talented actress, her character really got under my skin. The way she talked and just didn't care about anything made me upset rather then laugh. It wasn't until the end she showed some depth, but by then I was sick of seeing her. Anna Kendrick was a little better, but honestly if it wasn't for 'Anna Kendrick, the actor' playing Alice, I probably wouldn't of cared to much for her either.
These actors have all been in comedies way better then this film: "Neighbors" for Zac Efron and "Pitch Perfect" for Anna Kendrick and Adam Devine. The difference between this movie and those movies is that the characters felt real and grounded, so that when crazy over-the-top stuff does happen, it's a lot more funny - the movie around it feels more realistic. In this film, everything is heightened to such a ridiculous level that it felt fake and forced. This could've been something really special, but it just felt like a another crazy comedy fresh off the conveyer belt.
So, enough with the negatives - let's get with the things I liked about this movie.
The chemistry between Zac Efron and Adam Devine is amazing. If you had told me that these two actors were actually brothers, I would've believed you, because they work off of each other so well. Also, the actress that plays the brothers' little sister, Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard) was fantastic! All the scenes that focused on her were some of my favorites in this movie, and she has one of the funniest scenes in the movie with a camo of a comic that I am a huge fan of. (If you see the movie, you will know exactly what I'm talking about!)
All in all, I didn't hate myself watching this movie. It had some really funny parts, and I enjoyed the bond between Zac Efron and Adam Devine. The concept is great, the cast is fantastic, I think ultimately the direction was what killed the movie for me. Instead of making the characters likeable and fun, they come off as annoying. On the same page, some of the jokes went on for far too long, and some really funny parts just became really awkward. I had a good time watching the movie, it wasn't terrible, but I don't have any desire to ever watch this movie again, and that's pretty bad considering it's supposed to be a fun comedy. I wanted to like this movie a whole lot more, but there's just this barrier that's keeping me from doing that.
If you're new to my rating methods, I will now break down how "sick" this movie is.
"Healthy As A Horse" Never see this movie, even if your life depends on it!
"Common Cold" This movie is fun or entertaining, but not necessarily a "good movie".
"Stomach Bug" Good, but not worth spending money at the theater.
"Called Out of Work" Really good movie and worth seeing in theaters, if you get the chance!
"Projectile Vomiting" Watch this movie as soon as possible, get in line at the theater, or immediately buy it on Blu-ray or DVD. You have to see this movie!
So how 'sick' is "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates?"
"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" shouldn't have gone to Taco Bell last night, because it has a...
"Stomach Bug"
If there is ever a movie that fits this rating, it's this movie. It's good, but not worth breaking your back to see. This is something that if it was on TV I'd have an alright time seeing, but it's not anything special. I'd recommend just to wait until it's on Redbox, or maybe even waiting until it's on Hulu or Netflix. It's not horrible, but it's far from anything great.
