In an effort to add some humor into my life, I saw Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (henceforth referred to as MADNWD) last week. MADNWD (which will now be re-referred to as MAD) stars Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza and was billed as the big comedy hit of the summer. Is MAD hilariously funny as it is made out to be or does it fall on its face?
Story: Based off a true story, MAD is the story of two brothers, who bring two wild girls to their sister’s wedding. In true comedic fashion, things quickly fall apart but everything comes together in the end for a nice happy ending. The story is pretty predictable and you can guess what is going to happen from scene. Nothing is surprising. The plot plays it pretty safe, which is not a great thing.
Acting: The main cast is strange and they work well at times and are awkward elsewhere. After seeing Neighbors 2, I was expecting nothing out of Zac Efron, however he was the funniest person on screen, by far. Additionally, the chemistry between Efron and Anna Kendrick is surprisingly good; they make their clichéd story arc seem real (and even made me get some feels/not a lot but some). On the other hand, Adam DeVine and Aubrey Plaza were too clichéd for their own good (the phrase “trying too hard” comes to mind), however they do have some ok moments.
Presentation: The shots of Hawaii are quite good for a comedy but that’s about it. The movie looks pretty run of the mill and the soundtrack is also par for the course when it comes to comedies.
Effect: As a whole, I’d say the movie went 50 for 50 on jokes. Some jokes made me roll my eyes while others were damn funny. However, the best thing about the movie was that most of the jokes (regardless of whether they were good or not) were not in the trailers. I feel like too many comedies today spoil their jokes in their trailers and leave nothing new to see in the movie itself. So that alone made me happy with it.
Other: The movie drags a lot in the middle but pulls itself together for a decent finale. However, that being said, I’m not sure if I’d recommend going to see it for 15 bucks. Perhaps seeing it as a group would be worth it but not for a solo movie goer (like myself).
Wrapping dis up, MAD is much better than what I was expecting……. however, that is not saying much. It’s not bad. But it’s not good either.
Story: 5
Acting: 6
Presentation: 5
Effect: 7
Other: 6
Score: 5.8
No Duty to Watch 