Rated R
90 Minutes
Released May 12
The story in the movie Snatched, about a mother and daughter kidnaped while on vacation in Ecuador, lends itself to some very funny situations. Schumer’s character “Emily” is well defined in the beginning. It seems that everything in her life is falling apart/ nothing is going as planned. She has purchased a non-refundable vacation at a resort in Ecuador for herself and her boyfriend, and when she presents him with the surprise he announces that he’s dumping her. This wreaks havoc on her social media status – as in her reputation with her circle of friends. Since she has to either take the trip or forfeit it, she persuades her super-cautious Mom played by Hawn, to accompany her. Once they are checked in at the resort, Emily meets the proverbial “Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome,” played by the appropriately attractive British actor Tom Bateman who of course turns out to not be what he appears to be. Unexpected adventures ensue.
I had expected to be laughing myself to tears. And there were a few moments when that came to pass. However, I was a teeny bit disappointed that the relationship between Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn, two of the funniest women in the business, did not prove to be more hilarious. To be fair, I did anticipate “rolling in the aisles” funny. There just seemed to be something missing in the timing of their scenes together. The movie was entertaining – however the rhythm of the comedic energy was sporadic rather than moving consistently towards crescendos of laughter. There was too much improvisation. A couple of scenes involving death made me uncomfortable and didn’t seem to fit into the lighthearted style of the story – it’s very difficult to create humor around fatalities unless the approach is outrageous slapstick.
Some of the peripheral characters are hilarious. Randall Park as Schumer’s boyfriend “Michael” is superbly deadpan as he earnestly breaks up with her. Ike Barinholtz from TV’s The Mindy Project is funny as Schumer’s agoraphobic brother. He’s trying to save his Mom and sister and finds that dealing with the US State Department is the most frightening aspect of the rescue. Joan Cusack and Wanda Sykes really steal the show as an ex Special Ops agent and her loyal friend – their physical comedy skills and sarcasm are outstanding. Oscar Jaenada as the evil “Morgado” and Christopher Meloni as an Indiana Jones wannabe are excellent.
The film was shot on Oahu, with a few of the opening shots in New York City. Hawaii makes a believable stand-in for the jungles of Ecuador. This is an enjoyable film with some very funny moments – a good date film.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which is the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com. For previously published reviews see https://kwboole.wordpress.com
