Snatched
2.5 out of 5
Amy Shumer is a pretty polarizing comedic figure at the moment. It seems most people either love her, or they really don’t like her. I tend to fall somewhere in the middle. It’s not that I don’t like her, I think she is immensely talented — I just find her comedy to be a bit over the top raunchy (and unnecessarily so), and her general disdain for people who don’t think exactly like her can be off putting. But I enjoyed the movie “Trainwreck,” (perhaps not as much as some people who were ready to crown her Queen of Comedy afterwards), so I thought I’d keep an open mind going into “Snatched,” though the trailer hinted at some vintage Shumer moments of crude comedy.
Anyway, on with the film…If you’ve seen “Trainwreck” Amy plays a very similar character here. Self-absorbed, oblivious to any sort of responsibility and coarse. But the way she plays these traits in this movie is funnier than in “Trainwreck.” Perhaps it’s because this movie is written by someone other than her, or directed by Jonathan Levine instead of Judd Apatow, who pushes the limits too much at times as well. It all just comes off as different — more contained. We get the humor in doses, rather than as if she’s trying to do something funny in every moment of the film. There are hints of self-deprecating humor in some of her lines as well, such as when she criticizes white people to another white person, and says, “No offense,” as if she has transcended being white, and isn’t doing the very thing she’s ripping white people for. In these confines, Amy Shumer is on point. She still has moments that will turn some people away — but they aren’t as often, or as over the top. I just think this is her at her best. Concentrating on making people laugh, but doing so in a more broadly appealing way. I know, I’m a prude.
Goldie Hawn proves she can still act with anyone and command scenes, and her chemistry with Shumer is good. They really do come off as though there’s a mother-daughter history there. Then there are several other characters who flat out steal scenes, such as Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack. They are just flat out funny every time they’re on screen. Ike Barinholtz (who plays Jeffrey Middleton, Shumer’s adult brother who lives at home and is VERY dependent on his MaMa) and Christopher Meloni both are hilarious in their small roles as well.
The story starts with Shumer’s character, Emily Middleton, ready to go on a trip to Ecuador with her boyfriend — who dumps her a couple of days before they depart — because his band is about to take off, and he doesn’t want Emily hindering his “efforts” so to speak. As she tries to move on to find someone to take the non-refundable trip with her, she is left with only her mother, Linda, who again is played by Goldie Hawn. After begging and guilt tripping her into going, the two leave for Ecuador with two very different agendas. Linda plans on staying close to the resort, reading books and staying away from danger. Emily, on the other hand, wants to get out and sow some oats. Early on Emily meets a man, who entices her with stories of all of his trips and adventures around the world, and takes her out for a night of fun. He tells her to invite her mother to come with them the next day to go on even more fun and adventure. By this time, you’ve picked up on the fact that this guy is bad news, and indeed he is in with a gang of bad guys who kidnap women, presumably to sell them off. Linda doesn’t want to go, but is talked into it by Emily, and they fall into the trap that Linda warned Emily of. They eventually escape their captors and must make their way to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Columbia, in order to be returned safely to America. The story from here goes as you’d think it would, but there are really genuinely funny moments throughout, yes, they are gross or crude at times — but again — not too much. And again, Wanda Sykes, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz and Christopher Meloni are sprinkled in just enough to keep the laughs up and the film moving.
In my opinion, this is the kind of vehicle that could bring more people into Amy Shumer’s fan club, though I’m not sure she ultimately cares about that. But the idea is to have tons of people buy tickets to your movies and shows, right? Again, she’s immensely talented and funny when she wants to be — but she’s at her best in this sort of product.
