I tend to watch a lot of movies over the holidays. Reruns or cheesy movies are on TV, there's extra downtime to fill, and for the past two seasons, the kids are away for blocks of time with their father. So...Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Redbox keep me fully stocked on movies.
A recent selection was the 2016 film Why Him? I give this movie 3.5 stars, and here's why:
First, a half star is deducted for constant "normalized" use of cuss words. Don't get me wrong; I can cuss a blue streak if I'm of a mind to do so. But in this movie, one of the main characters couldn't seem to get through even one moment without another curse flying out of his mouth. We get it: he's a bad boy and the use of language further demonstrates that. In this production, however, it was over the top and became unpleasant to listen to after the first 300 or so f-bombs. The same effect could have been accomplished in this film with a few thousand less instances of gratuitous cursing.
Second, a half star is deducted for turning out to have a cheesy premise: don't judge a book by its cover. I really thought Why Him? would turn out to be a lighthearted comedy. Mindless, if you please. However, with the above-mentioned language and then the theme of "not judging a book by its cover" really brought the movie down. I mean it, seriously...I'm (obviously) a big proponent of being open-minded, accepting and treating everyone in the same way. However, the continual emphasis of the theme began to feel a bit much as the movie progressed. We get it, he's a bad boy who turns out to be not-so-bad after all. Huzzah.
Third, a final half star is deducted for story-line purposes. Too big of a leap was made between the father's company at the beginning and at the end. The effort to connect the two felt forced and contrived. Also, hello massive surprise ending.
As for the 3.5 stars the movie actually kept, I'd have to say the pace was well done, the acting and casting on target and a premise interesting enough to keep me halfway tuned in from beginning to end. Bryan Cranston as the dad was obviously channeling his inner Tommy Lee Jones - honestly, the similarity was jarring at times. If anything, he took it a bit over the top. And Karen - ah, excuse me - Megan Mullaly as the mother was a delightful addition. My one criticism of Karen - let's face it, that's all I'll ever think of her as, since I aspire to be Karen myself later in life - is that while she tried to keep her voice neutral through the movie, it turned into the signature Karen pitch and timbre at times.
So here's my recommendation - do you need a movie to watch in the background while accomplishing something else like folding laundry or playing on Facebook? If so, this flick's for you. Anyone expecting a masterpiece may need to look elsewhere.
A recent selection was the 2016 film Why Him? I give this movie 3.5 stars, and here's why:First, a half star is deducted for constant "normalized" use of cuss words. Don't get me wrong; I can cuss a blue streak if I'm of a mind to do so. But in this movie, one of the main characters couldn't seem to get through even one moment without another curse flying out of his mouth. We get it: he's a bad boy and the use of language further demonstrates that. In this production, however, it was over the top and became unpleasant to listen to after the first 300 or so f-bombs. The same effect could have been accomplished in this film with a few thousand less instances of gratuitous cursing.
Second, a half star is deducted for turning out to have a cheesy premise: don't judge a book by its cover. I really thought Why Him? would turn out to be a lighthearted comedy. Mindless, if you please. However, with the above-mentioned language and then the theme of "not judging a book by its cover" really brought the movie down. I mean it, seriously...I'm (obviously) a big proponent of being open-minded, accepting and treating everyone in the same way. However, the continual emphasis of the theme began to feel a bit much as the movie progressed. We get it, he's a bad boy who turns out to be not-so-bad after all. Huzzah.
Third, a final half star is deducted for story-line purposes. Too big of a leap was made between the father's company at the beginning and at the end. The effort to connect the two felt forced and contrived. Also, hello massive surprise ending.
As for the 3.5 stars the movie actually kept, I'd have to say the pace was well done, the acting and casting on target and a premise interesting enough to keep me halfway tuned in from beginning to end. Bryan Cranston as the dad was obviously channeling his inner Tommy Lee Jones - honestly, the similarity was jarring at times. If anything, he took it a bit over the top. And Karen - ah, excuse me - Megan Mullaly as the mother was a delightful addition. My one criticism of Karen - let's face it, that's all I'll ever think of her as, since I aspire to be Karen myself later in life - is that while she tried to keep her voice neutral through the movie, it turned into the signature Karen pitch and timbre at times.
So here's my recommendation - do you need a movie to watch in the background while accomplishing something else like folding laundry or playing on Facebook? If so, this flick's for you. Anyone expecting a masterpiece may need to look elsewhere.
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