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| "We'll take 12 cases of XXL condoms, a ten gallon drum of Vaseline, a box of surgical gloves, and a glazed donut....TO GO!!" |
Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace opened on
May 19, 1999. The only other major
release that week was a low budget romantic comedy called The Love
Letter. In fact, big-budget movies
are absent from the schedule the week before and after the release of Episode
I, which considering that the following weekend is Memorial Day is saying
something. But times have changed in 16
years, and rival studios are no longer afraid to counter-program against even
the biggest and most anticipated films.
Which is why Universal, who has a pretty great track record with
female-oriented comedy of late (Bridesmaids, Trainwreck, Pitch Perfect)
is facing off against the unstoppable juggernaut that is Star Wars: The
Force Awakens with its latest comedy, Sisters.
Sisters reunites SNL-alums-turned-superstars
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as sisters who return to their childhood home and
decide to throw one last party before the house is sold. Predictably, chaos ensues. An R-rated comedy through and through, Sisters
is packed with enough hilarious moments that the viewer could occasionally
miss a joke or two while laughing at the last one. Fey and Poehler's effortless chemistry is
bolstered by a great supporting cast, led by top notch performances by fellow SNL
alums Maya Rudolph and Bobby Moynahan and a particularly funny turn by WWE
superstar John Cena. Sisters is a
movie that has a lot going for it.
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| "Sadly,steroids have ruined these types of parties for me." |
Unfortunately, some of this at times rings a bit
hollow. If there's a weak link in the
cast, it's surprisingly the leads.
Poehler is the more convincing of the two, but she just seems to be
playing a more toned down, slightly less organized Leslie Knope. Meanwhile, Fey seems at times a bit out of
her element as the lackadaisical, wild sister (which Poehler herself played
better in their film Baby Mama).
A film like Sisters can live or die on the strength of its
overall themes, and this is also where it comes up a little weak. Superior films like Bridesmaids knew
how to balance its comedy with strong themes about adulthood, which Sisters aspires
to but never quite succeeds on the same level.
The jokes are great, but Sisters tries to wring more out of its
themes than it can really handle.
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Sisters does have its issues, and perhaps its heart isn't as big as it would like to think it is, but for sheer entertainment value it works. It's no threat to The Force Awakens from a box office standpoint, but as a less crowded alternative it's a fairly good time. It's a shame its themes aren't a bit more resonant and its leads' performances a bit stronger though. Regardless, Sisters is a good (and occasionally very good) comedy. But with a little more heart, it could have been great.
Score
- Mike Stec