"Game Night" and "Blockers"

I know I don't write enough about comedy on this blog, so today I'm going to make an effort and spotlight the two most prominent comedies from the first half of this year.  I liked them both, and find myself in the unusual position of actually hoping we get sequels, because I enjoyed the characters so much.

"Game Night" is about Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), who regularly get together with two other couples for game nights.  After Max's overachiever older brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) crashes one get-together, he insists on hosting the next one, a role-playing mystery game that involves Brooks getting kidnapped.  Or has he actually been kidnapped? Other players include seemingly solid married couple Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury), and the lunkheaded Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and his classy date Sarah (Sharon Horgan).  Then there's Gary (Jesse Plemons), the extremely awkward neighbor that everyone's been trying to avoid inviting to game night since he got divorced.

Jason Bateman has starred in several comedies that I've really disliked, so it's nice to see him in a good one, and paired up with a very charming and funny Rachel McAdams.  Most of the comedy here is character based, with some good gags, and it doesn't feel the need to harp on its R-rated content. The writing, by Mark Perez, is stronger and sharper than most, and there's some lively direction from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.  The opening and ending sequences offer a lot of fun visuals, and there's a nicely choreographed chase sequence with a Faberge egg at the end of the second act, helping to keep the momentum going.

It's Jesse Plemons who ends up stealing the show, however, as the awkward neighbor who nobody wants to hang out with.  He makes a very memorable weirdo, the latest in a great run of roles he's had over the past few years. Plemons is quickly turning into one of our most dependable character actors, and here he is a lot of fun to watch walking a thin line between possibly crazy and just your average garden-variety sad sack with really bad interpersonal skills.  There are also a couple of bigger names playing various baddies and secondary characters, but they're used in a limited way. I appreciate this, as comic actors I hadn't seen much of before, like Billy Magnussen and Lamorne Morris get more time to shine.

Now on to "Blockers," which is a subversion of the usual teen sex comedy in a couple of ways.  First, three teenage girls make a sex pact to lose their virginity on prom night instead of three boys.  Second, the movie is mostly told from the point of view of their parents, who learn about the sex pact and take it upon themselves to cock-block their offspring.  Yes, that is what the title is referring to. Leslie Mann stars as Lisa, the mother of the girls' ringleader, Julie (Kathryn Newton). Overprotective Mitchell (John Cena) and his wife Marcie (Sarayu Blue) are the parents of Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan).  Then there's Hunter (Ike Barinholtz), who is a mess. He's divorced from his wife and estranged from his daughter Sam (Gideon Adlon), but still desperate to be part of her life.

It's important to point out that though the film is mostly from the parents' point of view, there's plenty of attention on the girls themselves, working out if they actually want to lose their virginity, and with who.  They talk frankly about sex, drugs, and alcohol, and are an appealing mix of different personalities and types. Sam is a geek and Kayla is an athlete. Seeing their adventures during prom night in counterpoint to the ones their panicking parents are having is a big reason why the film works as well as it does.  The moral is, of course, that the girls should make their own choices and their own mistakes, and having that emotional investment really helps that sentiment hit home.

As for the adults, Leslie Mann has been one of my favorites forever, and it's great seeing her play off of John Cena, in cuddly strongman mode, and Ike Barinholtz, who gradually reveals that his character may be the most reasonable of the bunch.  The script gets a lot of mileage out of maneuvering the straightlaced parents through teen sex comedy scenarios, and there are some gross-out moments and cringe humor that I found a little excessive. However, the leads were strong enough that I didn't mind too much.  And I'll be happy to see them reunite for the inevitable "Blockers Spring Break" or "Blockers Greek Week" in a year or two.

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