It’s a rainy, dreary day outside and I was hoping this week’s slate of movies would do a little to cheer me up. Nope. Only one flick on the docket and, well, it isn’t exactly inspiring. Alas, life goes on, and this Sunday may have just been made for football. This week we head off to a pre-wedding holiday.
Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at what This Rotten Week has to offer.
The Best Man Holiday
There’s something to be said for the role of our "inner circle" in our lives. Those people we’ve known forever, who, no matter how much our lives have diverged, no matter the paths we’ve all taken, no matter the fundamental changes we’ve experienced by "growing" or "succeeding", will always be part of us. How comfortable it is to reconnect with that group, and how quickly and easily we hop over the (sometimes drastic) amount of time since our last encounter only to fall quickly into the comfortable rhythms of the friendship we once (and really always had). These people are the family you’ve chosen, not the group of blood relatives you have by circumstance, and it’s always endearing when movies examine these relationships and how the fluctuations of time and growth tend to shape and reshape the bond inherent in tight knit groups of acquaintances. At least I think that’s what this flick is about, but I’m not totally positive because from the trailer it looks like it’s all over the place.
Following up on 1999’s The Best Man (71%), this movie takes a look at what happens when a group of friends reunite to examine how they are still part of each other’s lives. What ends up happening is moronic sexual tension, innuendo, and stripper jokes all while characters appear to stumble awkwardly around each other. At times I thought I was watching a couple of different trailers all mashed up into one, which makes me feel the movie struggles to find a central theme beyond just "friends getting back together." There’s no doubt the acting crew here is above average with Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Nia Long and Terrence Howard, but what exactly is this movie about? One moment characters are having a heart-to-heart and the next someone is throwing panties across the screen. Characters are struggling in relationships and then there’s a choreographed dance number. And don’t forget the part in which Terrence Howard seems intent on getting two other female characters into a threesome. See what I’m talking about here? Malcom D. Lee directed the original and since then he’s helmed Soul Men (44%), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (22%) and Scary Movie 5 (4%) which don’t exactly boost my confidence level here. My thinking is a good movie exists somewhere in this script, but the final product is too contrived and slapstick-y to be taken seriously. The Rotten Watch for The Best Man Holiday is 36%
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Recapping last week:
Oof. It was looking good for most of the week with Thor: The Dark World (Predicted: 81% Actual: 66%). Critics fell off the wagon a bit as the week went on. I didn’t account nearly enough for the early reviews. Sean’s review sums up a good, though far-from-great movie that relies a bit too heavily on its stars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. Personally, I’ve always found Thor the least compelling Avenger and his straddling of two worlds isn’t nearly as intriguing as it maybe should be. That being said, 66% still makes a strong-ish film. If nothing else, take a gander at Eric’s piece outlining all the background one would need before seeing this newest addition to the Marvel Universe catalogue. With another above average showing, they’ve got one hell of a run going.
Next time around there’s a delivery man and Katniss catches fire. It’s going to be a Rotten Week!
