Here's a trio of films that are shockingly now over 20 years old (That makes me feel old).
Bachelor Party: I know this is supposed to be only of the classic 80s comedies, but I did not enjoy this at all. I found most of the characters to be unlikeable and annoying. And I didn't get the humor in most of the pranks they pulled. The only bright spot was seeing that Tom Hanks was clearly a star in the making. He's the only thing tolerable in this film. It's interesting to note that I did not care for this or the classic 70s comedy, Animal House. Yet, I love more modern ones like Old School, American Pie, Wedding Crashers, and The Hangover. I wonder if there is something about needing to be young in the era the film was made in order to appreciate this genre or if these more recent films are actually better than these supposed classics. Rating: **
The Dream Team: A wasted opportunity here. The premise offered a lot of promise - a doctor takes four of his mental patients to a baseball game, but ends up getting attacked, leaving the patients to fend for themselves in New York City. Instead of really trying to have fun with this notion of nutcases loose in a major city, the plot resorts to tired cliches involving corrupt cops and silly chases. Instead of depicting true mental illness, the four patients (played by Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, and Stephen Furst) just come off as mildly annoying. This is pretty standard fare. Rating: ***
Parenthood: Finally, we get a winner. This is a wonderful film showcasing a variety of familial situations. On paper, the characters seem like they'll be cliches, but the wonderful cast makes them fully realized and true. Credit to Ron Howard who is able to balance the large cast and give each of them significant time to allow their story arcs play out. While I doubt this will encourage me to see the new NBC drama based on the film, I can now see why they would want to develop it into a series. Of the three, this is the one I'd recommend you check out if you've never done so before. Rating: ****
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