Throughout the entire history of Hollywood, there have been many R-rated comedies featuring families. Vacation and Step Brothers are just some examples that come to mind. On the other hand, there hasn’t been an R-rated comedy that features a mother and daughter. That is until now. But does Snatched reach the same comedic level as the films that came before it?
Thankfully, Snatched reaches that level due to its fantastic supporting cast and the clever blend of wacky and dark humor. Unfortunately, it’s not a good sign when the supporting cast is more memorable than the film’s main stars.
Snatched follows Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer) who gets unceremoniously dumped before their trip to Ecuador. Without anyone to go with her, she decides to take her fussy mother (Goldie Hawn) to Ecuador instead. Their fun down south goes south when they become hostages to a ruthless crime lord.
Although it’s not surprising for a film like this but Snatched has a very predictable storyline. Audiences know that the broken bond between mother and daughter will mend through the course of the movie. However, this isn’t a film that’s looking to switch things up. In fact, the plot simply serves as a vehicle for the humor. Needless to say, there is a lot of humor in the film. Screenwriter Katie Dippold infuses the script with a throng of quick-jab punchlines. Some of the jokes in the film fall flat on its face, but the jokes are at its best when it’s grim and dumb. There’s nothing like seeing the characters do stupid things and go through some gnarly situations.
But the humor can only take the film so far. Director Jonathan Levine struggles to land a lot of the emotional moments in the film. Be that as it may, Levine is able to put together a comedic scene without making it look too cartoonish. Not only that but Levine breezily paces the film through its 90-minute runtime.
If you’re not a fan of Amy Schumer then this film won’t change your mind on her. She is essentially playing the same character type as some of her other roles. It’s not necessarily a bad thing since other comedians-turned-actors do it too. However, the act tends to get old after a while.
Unfortunately, Goldie Hawn deserves a better film to come out of retirement for. If this was any other actress then it wouldn’t be as disappointing. Yet Hawn hasn’t been on screen since 2002’s The Banger Sisters. A long time for a legendary actress like her. Nevertheless, she’s able to go toe-to-toe with Schumer on the comedic front.
All things considered, the dynamic between Schumer and Hawn is the heart of the film. The pair seems to have an earnest warmth to their relationship and that’s something you can’t really fake.
Although Schumer and Hawn are the stars of the film, it’s essentially the supporting cast that steals the show. Christopher Meloni is a riot in the short amount of time he’s on screen. He also has one of the funniest moments in the entire film. Ike Barinholtz and Bashir Salahuddin are also key standouts in the film. You’re easily going to laugh every time they’re on-screen. Although she doesn’t have any speaking parts, Joan Cusack delivers a lot of laughs with not a lot of screen time.
Overall, Snatched is a laugh-out-loud but flawed film. Even though a mother-daughter R-rated comedy is an original idea, it won’t change the game. Because the best parts of the film aren’t the mother-daughter hijinks. In reality, it’s the supporting cast that are the real MVPs. They bring the hilarity to the film that will entertain you throughout its entire runtime.
Rating: 3/5 atoms
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