Holly
02-27-2006, 03:40 PM
All you really have to know, as the ads proudly trumpet, is that “Date Movie” is from a couple of the writers of “Scary Movie.”
Knowing what that film did to the horror genre, you can expect romantic comedies to be put through the wringer in the new satire. Also like the earlier film, not ever joke “hits,” but there's still enough of a ratio of solid chuckles to make the picture a worthwhile entry in the send-up category.
First of all, it has an ideal heroine in the delightfully game Alyson Hannigan (“American Pie,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “How I Met Your Mother”), who plays the girlfriend in question, with Adam Campbell as her beau. He has one of those unfortunate last names like a certain Ben Stiller movie character, and indeed, it becomes “Meet the Parents” time for Hannigan's character here.
As with many movies of this kind, certain scenes are self-referential toward other movies, becoming parodies of favorite scenes that in some cases have been parodied to death already. It's hard to discuss then without giving away the punch lines, but if you're familiar with romantic comedies in general, you'll have no problem figuring out which films are the original sources.
And political incorrectness runs rampant here. Check any propriety you have at the door, because “Date Movie” will run roughshod over it, just as it fully intends to.
“Scary Movie” turns out to be a good gauge for “Date Movie.” Not everything in the horror spoof worked, either, but maybe there were enough laughs for you to felt satisfied. It's exactly the same with “Date Movie”: Your funny bone won't be tickled by everything in it, but chances are good you'll laugh more than once. Maybe a whole lot more than once.
I did -- and maybe I was a little ashamed about it afterward, but if a comedy makes me laugh, that's good enough.
(Rated PG-13)
Knowing what that film did to the horror genre, you can expect romantic comedies to be put through the wringer in the new satire. Also like the earlier film, not ever joke “hits,” but there's still enough of a ratio of solid chuckles to make the picture a worthwhile entry in the send-up category.
First of all, it has an ideal heroine in the delightfully game Alyson Hannigan (“American Pie,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “How I Met Your Mother”), who plays the girlfriend in question, with Adam Campbell as her beau. He has one of those unfortunate last names like a certain Ben Stiller movie character, and indeed, it becomes “Meet the Parents” time for Hannigan's character here.
As with many movies of this kind, certain scenes are self-referential toward other movies, becoming parodies of favorite scenes that in some cases have been parodied to death already. It's hard to discuss then without giving away the punch lines, but if you're familiar with romantic comedies in general, you'll have no problem figuring out which films are the original sources.
And political incorrectness runs rampant here. Check any propriety you have at the door, because “Date Movie” will run roughshod over it, just as it fully intends to.
“Scary Movie” turns out to be a good gauge for “Date Movie.” Not everything in the horror spoof worked, either, but maybe there were enough laughs for you to felt satisfied. It's exactly the same with “Date Movie”: Your funny bone won't be tickled by everything in it, but chances are good you'll laugh more than once. Maybe a whole lot more than once.
I did -- and maybe I was a little ashamed about it afterward, but if a comedy makes me laugh, that's good enough.
(Rated PG-13)