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Archives for : Kathryn Hahn

Movie Review: “Bad Moms” is a Predictable, Laugh Out Loud Riot

BAD MOMS

Usually too much predictability in a film can make it a flat out bore. However, if the predictability is overshadowed by a strong cast and hilarious, original jokes, it can actually make for a pretty fun comedy!

Aside from the all-star cast, I was hesitant going into “Bad Moms”. The track record for films beginning with “Bad”, hasn’t been so hot. “Bad Santa”, “Bad Teacher”, “Bad Words”, etc. Though all these films provide plenty of laughs, they lack heart and contentment. “Bad Moms” breaks the trend and goes for a more relatable and heartwarming plot.

“Bad Moms” is a movie for all those moms who are out there trying their hardest to balance work, love lives, kids, and the many extracurricular activities that come with kids. In this film, that role is portrayed by Amy (Mila Kunis), an overburdened mother of two kids, who gets almost no help from her lazy, creep of a husband (David Walton). The film opens with Amy unloading all of her problems on our shoulders, we come to find she has no life/work balance at all. Then we meet the other two moms who are #TeamAmy, Kiki (Kristen Bell), a stay-at-home-mom raising four kids, which has prevented her from having any real social life. According to her husband, the kids shouldn’t be baby sat by anyone else EVER because it is ONLY Kiki’s job to watch the kids. And finally, there’s Carla (Kathryn Hahn), the crude, horny single mother who has no filter.

Soon enough these three women become best friends when they join together to take down the worst kind of moms: PTA leaders.  These are the moms who make you feel like crap because they seem to never even break a sweat when it comes to raising their children and balancing all their daily responsibilities. And in this film, PTA president, Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) has no problem rubbing all of your failures and her successes in your face.

After a series of bad luck in her personal life and intolerable PTA requests, Amy becomes fed up with Gwendolyn’s ridiculous demands and decides to run against her for PTA president. Thus, the war of “Bad Moms” VS “Perfect Moms” begins, leading to a numerous amount of gut-busting comedy.

“Bad Moms” is not the best film of the year. Heck, it’s not even the best comedy, but, it certainly still charms. It is a film catered for any hardworking mom who struggles to stay afloat at times. Though there are a many outlandish scenes, that doesn’t make “Bad Moms” any less enjoyable to watch. And the end credits with the actresses talking with their real life moms about motherhood, just about had me in tears.

Rating: 3.5/5

“Bad Moms” opens in theaters July 29.

“Bad Moms” Official Trailer HD

Movie Review: “The Visit” is a Welcoming Comeback for M. Night Shyamalan

the visit

M. Knight Shyamalan was once known for his great films such as The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs.  Unfortunately, his more recent projects have subjected us to some underwhelming, pieces of crap like The Happening and After Earth.  Well folks, I’m pleased to say that Shyamalan’s newest film, The Visit, succeeds as a highly entertaining horror-comedy!

Kathryn Hahn plays a single mother of two who has not spoken to her parents since she left home at the age of 19, and ran off with an older man.  Now, her parents have reached out to her through the internet and ask that her children come to visit their Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie), whom they’ve never met.

Per the kids’ wishes, the mom sends them to their grandparents’ isolated, Pennsylvania farmhouse in the woods for a week while she goes on a cruise with her new boyfriend.  The eldest child, Becca (Olivia DeJonge), is an aspiring filmmaker.  She takes this opportunity to document her entire trip, and hopefully uncover exactly what happened the day her mother walked out on her parents and maybe even mend their relationship.  Alongside her, as a second camera operator is her younger, germ phobic, rapping brother, Tyler (Olivia DeJonge).

The trip starts all well and good, Nana makes plenty of tasty treats and Pop Pop enjoys listening to Tyler’s ridiculously, hilarious raps.  Seems as though it will be a great week for the kids; that is until they discover why bed time is at 9:30pm.  Nana goes from a harmless, nocturnal sleepwalker to a straight up psychotic, creepy, crawler within each passing night!  And what exactly is Pop Pop doing when he disappears inside his mysterious shed?

As things are turning eerie fast, the kids are desperate to have their mother come get them before anymore craziness unfolds.

Shyamalan has not only redeemed himself as a filmmaker, but he has also brought originality to the found-footage genre.  His combination of humor and terror will have audiences uncomfortably laughing while still on the edge of their seats as they nervously anticipate what’s to come.

The acting is good overall, especially when it comes to the two kids, who could have ruined the whole film if they were wrongly cast.  Oxenbould was given some cheesy lines and potentially bad jokes, but his delivery and timing is so on point that you can’t help but enjoy every second he’s on screen.  But the real stand out here is Nana.  Dunagan gives an incredible performance as the disturbing grandmother who seesaws from sweet and nurturing to plain insanity.

The Visit provides comedy, horror, family, and best of all, a startling amount of effed up sh**.  Literally!

Rating: 4/5

The Visit opens in theaters on September 11.