While reboots, offshoots and new entries into ongoing series dominate the lineup of highly anticipated movies on tap for 2016, there are original offerings on the horizon as well and one such film that has captured our interest is Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
In case it’s not obvious as to why this little number from the team behind Neighbors (and Neighbors 2), allow me to spell it out: Zac Efron excels in these rolls (and needs a rebound after We Are Your Friends and Dirty Grandpa), Adam Devine is always enjoyable and makes a perfect sidekick and the boys are pitted against Anna freakin’ Kendrick and Aubrey goddamn Plaza!
Every year, there are dozens of clearly horrible comedies that hit theatres – parody trash like Fifty Shades of Black or Adam Sandler nonsense that very few people find funny – but theatres have been devoid of genuinely amusing comedy like this for too long. Yes, it looks ridiculous, but not absurd and there is a difference.
There are some obvious over-the-top elements to this, but the whole thing is over-the-top, which helps this avoid “that looks awful” standing and land closer to “could be comparable to Wedding Crashers” billing.
Kendrick and Efron don’t get enough credit for their comedic chops and Devine and Plaza are ultra-consistent in their hilarity. Putting them all together in a flick where Man-Child 1 & 2 get duped and outdone by their female counterparts feels like the perfect recipe for a successful summer comedy.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates lands in theatres on July 8.
