Now Playing

 

We’re into February, which means we’re getting some films aimed squarely at the holiday that’s forthcoming. This week I look at two that take wildly different approaches—one an action film in theaters and the other an over-the-top comedy on streaming. Below is my take on both. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Kinda Pregnant (Netflix)
Starring: Amy Schumer, Will Forte, and Jillian Bell
Synopsis: Bringing a child into the world can be a beautiful thing. It’s something that many women aspire to and when it doesn’t happen, it can leave them feeling down. Or, maybe, even doing something crazy.  That’s the premise for Kinda Pregnant, a new comedy that debuts today on Netflix. The film finds Schumer playing a teacher who has long wanted to be married and start a family. In fact, an early sequence shows her playing at giving birth as a young girl. But as we meet her in adulthood, the dream hasn’t happened yet. She thinks her boyfriend (Damon Wayans, Jr.) is going to propose, but instead it all goes sideways. Now she’s single and feeling depressed. When her best friend, Kate (Bell), ends up pregnant, it throws Schumer’s Lainy for a loop. But when she finds a pregnancy belly, she decides to try on the feeling for size. After getting compliments on the street and the subway, turns out Lainy likes the feeling. She decides to try a pregnancy yoga class, and while the class itself is a bust, she meets Megan (Brianna Howey), a mom-to-be, and a friendship blooms. So, Lainy has to keep up the ruse. When she meets Megan’s brother Josh (Forte) and sparks fly, her spiral of dishonesty becomes a trench. Can she keep up the lie and keep all these plates spinning? If you’ve seen comedies like this, you know the answer to that. Nothing that’s a secret stays a secret for long. The comedy is in the lengths they’ll go to keep it up and the way it spirals out of control. This one spirals out of control quickly and in some cringe-inducing ways. That makes for a tough watch. Schumer as a comedian is an acquired taste. A lot of her films feel over-the-top in the wrong way for me. This film isn’t as over-the top, but it still has some crazy sequences as part of its R-rated experience. But I wasn’t taken with the story or the characters, which made a lot of the sequences in the middle incredibly uncomfortable to sit through. This film comes from Adam Sandler’s production company, and we see a few classic Sandler players here. That includes cameos from his wife and daughter in the film. There are a lot of recognizable faces that play minor roles here, all meant to add to the fun. But if you’re not into the main story, it just doesn’t have the pop that it should. The comedy and story fall flat here for me, making this a slog despite a reasonable 97-minute run time. If you’re a big Schumer fan, this might work better. Otherwise, it’s not worth making a point to see this film.
Rating: Rated R for sexual content, language throughout and drug use.
Verdict: One and a half stars

Love Hurts (Theater)
Starring: Ke Huy Quan, Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Lio Tipton, Mustafa Shakir, and Marshawn Lynch
Synopsis: In another film that’s aimed at the Valentine’s Day crowd we get Academy Award winners Quan and DeBose paired up in an action romance that you probably didn’t see coming. Marvin Gable (Quan) seems to be a mild-mannered, and successful real estate agent. But it’s his fresh start after previously working as an enforcer for his brutal brother Knuckles (Wu). His final job was to eliminate a thief, Rose (DeBose), but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He let Rose go and left his position to start over. Now, Rose is back, and she’s done hiding. That makes Marvin and Rose targets, as his quiet life is quickly upended. Can they find a way to freedom and love together? This film comes from director Jonathan Eusebio, making his feature debut after years working in stunts. The fight sequences here are well choreographed and plentiful. The run time is a scant 83 minutes, yet little of it is used on building the characters or plot. That’s a shame given the talent involved. But I liked Quan and DeBose together, I enjoyed the addition of Sean Astin in a supporting role that makes for a fun Goonies reunion. Overall, this was enjoyable for what it is, a simple action comedy. Just don’t think too hard about it.
Rating: Rated R for strong/bloody violence and language throughout.
Verdict: Three stars out of five