Last year was abysmal in terms of comedy movies. Aside from
the underrated and Chance the Rapper approved The House and slightly overrated
but nevertheless fun Girls’ Trip, nothing of the other comedies gave me more
than a slight chuckle.
So, the first big comedy of the new year, aside from the
latest 50 Shades of Grey, had me nervous but hopeful. The cast had some hits
under their belts (Horrible Bosses, New Girl, Breaking Bad, Mean Girls) but the
directors only helmed one movie previously, Vacation, which I won’t even
comment on in this review.
Game Night lands squarely in the middle of recent comedies,
never quite reaching belly laugh level but never having me regret the decision
to watch it. Positives include Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad fame, who gave a
great performance as a lonely security guard. Establishing shots felt like they
were on an actual board game, giving the movie a unique feel. I never thought I
would comment on the establishing shots, but the building of scenes from the
opening frame helped this Game Night feel like an actual game.
But at a certain point the twists and turns go from fun to
futile. Just as the movie feels like it is going up a ladder, the next plot
reveal goes right down a chute. I am still not sure I could completely explain
each ending, not because I missed something but because so much happened.
This comedy was a fun, if ultimately
unmemorable, time. If you need to spend an hour and fourty-five minutes doing something, I
could think of quite a few worse ways to do. The subjectivity of comedy makes
it difficult to know how it will affect you personally, but I enjoyed my time
with Game Night.
When should you watch it?
Dollar Theater
Mom and I probs still seeing it
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