Ass Backwards

One of the few times I bothered to read reviews on a movie (loose term in this case) before I watched it, and how I regret it. As funny as having a tooth pulled, but I would like to say hello to the cast or crew members who came on here to write glowing reviews.

Sadly anyone who was not involved would disagree, while not as bad as Birdemic (One or Two) it's still bland, banal and unfunny, sadly I can't get the hour and twenty I wasted wondering if it actually gets better.

May I respectfully suggest, with the nice scenery, equipment, cast and crew available for this, next time put a little more effort into picking a good script.

It sort of reminds me of Connie and Carla or For a Good Time Call... so if you like either of those gal pal movies you'll probably enjoy this one even if it is a little slapstick.

As other users have said, there's an obvious Romy & Michelle vibe (nothing wrong with that) - but where that film had heart, likable characters, and actual jokes, this one has absolutely none of that. The two main characters are abrasive, unlikable and interchangeable - their motivations and intelligence level seem to change from scene to scene. This is an almost Andy Kaufman-esque piece of anti-comedy - scenes drag on and on with awkward silences and nothing resembling jokes or even attempted jokes. I might have laughed once - it's an absolute chore to sit through.

I like Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael in other projects, but after this and Bride Wars, they need to take a break from screen writing. This makes Orci-Kurtzman scripts look like Charlie Kaufman or Tarantino.

The only way this can be redeemed is if Raphael does an episode of "How Did This Get Made?" (the bad-movie discussion podcast she co-hosts) devoted to this movie. She's usually the most likable, level-headed person on the show, who seems to actually want to discuss the shortcomings of the movie instead of just crack easy jokes; any insight into how this movie went so, so wrong would be fascinating to listen to.

A comedic dud. It's very unfortunate, because it stars and was written by two of my favorite comic actresses, Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and June Diane Raphael (NTSF:SD:SUV::). It was a labor of love for the two of them. They ran out of money at one point, halfway through filming, and had to delay the rest of the film for a year or more before finding another backer. Unfortunately, the film is just never funny. The two actresses themselves can be kind of amusing, but few laughs result from their antics. The two play former child beauty pageant participants, now in their early 30s living in New York. They get an invitation to a beauty pageant reunion, and decide to take a road trip to participate once again. The problem: they're total idiots who were terrible when they were kids and who are just as terrible as adults. There are many adventures along the way, almost none of them funny. The film wants to be an absurd comedy, but it also wants a bit of an emotional response. The two protagonists are too silly (and, frankly, unlikable) to ever be taken seriously, so all of the emotional moments fall flat. I have to admit, as much as this doesn't work, I'm too in love with the two actresses to ever not enjoy their presence. It's also too short to have really provoked anger in me. The supporting cast is generally good, too, including Vincent D'Onofrio, Bob Odenkirk, Alicia Silverstone, Paul Scheer and Sandy Martin. And Jon Cryer, who's awful, as usual.

A bit like Romy & Michelle meets Dumb & Dumber. I didn't mind it. They could have made more of it but it is what it is. It's more scratching your head laughing than laugh out loud funny. If you enjoyed Happy Endings you should love this. I did.