It is no surprise to you my loyal readers that I have a certain weak spot for Zac Efron comedies... I'm pretty sure I gave 'Bad Neighbours' something like 5 stars, but really who's counting?! Whenever he's paired up with some truly fantastic comedic actors, cinema magic is made. Okay, maybe not magic, but if you are looking for a good time and some serious belly laughs, maybe you should crash this wedding.
Mike and Dave (Adam Devine and Zac Efron) are two notorious party boys, they are the reason most of their big family gatherings end up in explosions, extreme drunkenness and sometimes even death. But it is now their little sister's wedding and they have been given an ultimatum by the family: find respectable dates to keep yourselves in check or don't come at all. Enter Tatiana and Alice (Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick), the "respectable" girls of the boys' dreams - or are they?
SWITCH: 'MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES' TRAILER
At first glance this might appear to be your average bro-fest of a movie: dudes being dudes, lusting after women with some boner jokes thrown in for good measure. The pleasantly surprising thing is that, although the film is named 'Mike and Dave', their female counterparts are incredibly equal, both in hilarious comedy and the stakes in the plot. This is the kind of representation I like to see! If anything, Tatiana and Alice are more bro-ey than Mike and Dave, smuggling drugs to Hawaii and generally being total boss bitches at all times of the day - all for a free vacation! Something else that I found interesting was that (this isn't a spoiler) the characters who became emotional wrecks were the guys, not the girls. I'm a sucker for a dude in tears, but I loved the reversal of gender stereotypes (as always) and it just added yet another layer of depth, which is something rare in a comedy like this.
The pleasantly surprising thing is that, although the film is named 'Mike and Dave', their female counterparts are incredibly equal.
The gags come thick and fast and it makes you wonder how much of this was scripted and how much was their natural comedic ability. The four leads are flawless in their performances and have such on-screen chemistry you'd think they had been acting and riffing off each other for years. There is something so organic about it that it all just seems right. There is actually very little to fault about what is a fun joyride of a comedy.
If anything, the whole genre of these "bigger" budget comedies are getting not only smarter but a lot more accessible to more people. No one will particularly feel "dragged along" to this movie. It's honestly just a joy from start to finish. With moments that will make you cringe, moments that will make you cover your mouth in shock and moments that will have you holding your sides to keep them from exploding, it's definitely worth being a date to this wedding!