Female Film Critics 24/375
Whatever happened to the light, frothy romantic comedy? Instead of wry, observational humor about falling in love ‘the second time around” and the toxic effect of Instagram/commodification of meaningful rituals like weddings, these superficially ‘pretty people’ are all bland, underdeveloped stereotypes, and each shallow, awkward scene turns out to be more predictable than the one preceding it.
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It has been seven years since the lastDespicable Me movie. In that time the popularity of the banana loving henchmen has continued to grow, but this latest entry pushes them back into the shadows to focus once more on Gru (Steve Carell) and his family. Despite the passage of time, Gru, Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Agnes (Madison Polan), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), and Edith (Dana Gaier), have not aged. As with any popular animation, directors Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage have opted to freeze the characters in time. This move makes it easier for the audience to return and reform connections, but the two do shake things up slightly with the addition of a new family member – Gru Jr. The introduction of the baby freshens the family setting and creates ample opportunity for new gags.
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It’s fitting that the new Netflix romantic comedy Mother of the Bride revolves around an influencer’s wedding full of pretty images and sponsorships. The film looks like a travelogue for Thailand, with stunning skylines, sunsets, and loads of tropical beaches and cocktails. That’s fine if you’re in the mood to coast on the company of stars Brooke Shields and Benjamin Bratt, but it’s meh if you want more substance.
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