[Movie Review] Why Him? (2016)
Plot Summary:
Director: John Hamburg
Writers: Jonah Hill, John Hamburg
Runtime: 1hr 51 min
Main Cast:
- Zoey Deutch as Stephanie Fleming
- James Franco as Laird Mayhew
- Bryan Cranston as Ned Fleming
- Megan Mullally as Barb Fleming
- Cedrick the Entertainer as Lou Dunne
- Tangie Ambrose as Patty Dunne
Review: by Mia
When I first heard of this movie and its cast, I was most looking forward to the chance to see Bryan Cranston back in action as a Comedy Actor.
We can all agree after roles such as Breaking Bad’s Walker White; Godzilla’s Joe Brody, and even the leading role of Howard Wakefield in Wakefield that Bryan Cranston is an outstanding actor capable of fully bringing a heavily complex and layered psychological story to life. Still, one of my all-time favorite roles from Cranston remains Hal from the 2000s Classic: Malcolm in the Middle. This recurring role as well, as many voice-over roles ranging from shows such as Archer to Family Guy, confirms Cranston’s versatility, and humor, as an actor. So Why Him? is developed and I began to anticipate the chance to see Cranston return to Comedy in Film.
His Co-Star, James Franco, has an equally impressive resume when it comes to Comedy Roles. Comedy is where the Franco name thrives. Films like Pineapple Express, The Night Before, and This is the End are just a few of the recognizable comedy films which received high regards for wild, outrageous hilarity from its cast. Franco is also a very versatile actor that we can always look forward to returning to the Comedy Scene.
Combine these two skilled Screen Comedians with the rest of the cast of Why Him? and you find yourself looking forward to awkward, hilarious, and endearing scenes reminiscent of UK Television Series: Cuckoo, but with a Billionaire Tech Specialist spin on the male romantic interest (James Franco).
Why Him? follows the experiences of a loving Suburban family as they travel to California to meet the boyfriend of their oldest and brightest daughter: Stephanie. Stephanie has been keeping her heated romance a secret from her family, but once the secret is out, she dives head first into getting everyone together to get to know one another. Her family, astraight-lacedd business oriented family who pride themselves in bettering the prosperity of their printing company and all of its employees, fly to California wondering who they will meet that has stolen Stephanie’s heart and already made a less than pure impression on the minds of family and friends alike after a Skype call gone wrong in front of the entire guest list of Ned Fleming’s (Bryan Cranston) Birthday Party back home. They arrive in California and find that they will not be staying in the hotel they planned, but in the home of the mysterious Laird Mayhew (James Franco).
Upon arriving at his home, they realize there is much more to Laird than they expected, a few hundred million dollars more as a matter of fact. His home is eccentric and his staff is both prestigious and extravagant. His estate is a miniature Silicon Valley full of employees hoping to boost his different Tech Ventures. Laird himself can’t really keep up with everything going on around the place. He introduces himself and, true to James Franco Comedy Fashion, is both awkward and foul mouthed to the point of hilarity. He very nearly gives Ned Fleming an aneurysm at least twelve times over the course of the film. As the film goes on, we watch outrageous scenarios ensue as Ned attempts at every turn to convince the rest of the family that, Billionaire or not, there is no way Laird should be aiming to marry his doted on daughter. The Battle of Wills between the two men leads to catastrophe and the comedy becomes torture as you wish they would just quit their crazed antics and settle into a more reasonable response to one another’s personalities. Still, the entire thing comes off as an endearing mix of people into one larger family, including the two companies behind Ned Fleming and Laird Mayhew.
As the film goes on, we watch outrageous scenarios ensue as Ned attempts at every turn to convince the rest of the family that, Billionaire or not, there is no way Laird should be aiming to marry his doted on daughter. The Battle of Wills between the two men leads to catastrophe and the comedy becomes torture as you wish they would just quit their crazed antics and settle into a more reasonable response to one another’s personalities. Still, the entire thing comes off as an endearing mix of people into one larger family, including the two companies behind Ned Fleming and Laird Mayhew.
Summary
I really appreciated the different roles that contributed to the funniness of this film. James Franco’s character is both outrageous and lovable while Cranston’s is understandable and frustrating. The Fleming Family brings hilarious commentary to the different scenes that really improve the hilarity. My main criticism really does go to the familiarity of the plot. We have seen many films set up like this one before and I can’t deny the similarity to Cuckoo. Still, this is one of the best-executed versions of this film formula to come out recently and I would definitely recommend that it be watched. You can’t imagine the amount of craziness an eccentric Billionaire will get into when trying to impress his wholesome girlfriend’s straight-laced family.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
