They Came Together

A small business owner (Amy Poehler) is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development.

This film seems to get a bad rap, with people saying it is not a good satire or parody. I respectfully, and strongly, disagree. So many movie conventions are turned on their head. Obviously, the traditional romantic comedy blueprint, but even more than that. And some moments had me laughing out loud (literally).

Although "Wet Hot American Summer" is considered a modern classic by some, I think "They Came Together" is the superior film. It's more mature, more consistent. Maybe it will take a few years, but I see this becoming a cult film.

I hardly ever leave reviews, and I usually agree with IMDb ratings, but They Came Together is a clear exception. Sitting at a 5.6? That's criminally low for what's actually a smart, sharp, and wildly self-aware parody of romantic comedies. I'd personally put it around a 6.4 or 6.5, but I'm giving it a 7 to offset the people who clearly missed the point.

Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are perfect together. Their comedic chemistry carries the film, and it's obvious they had a blast making it. The humor is absurd on purpose, sometimes subtle, sometimes over-the-top, but always intentional. It's supposed to feel ridiculous. That's the joke. If you go in expecting a traditional rom-com, you'll probably be confused. But if you understand it as a spoof in the spirit of Airplane! Or Wet Hot American Summer, it totally lands.

Is it silly? Absolutely. But that's the charm. It knows exactly what it is and never pretends otherwise. For fans of meta-humor, deadpan delivery, and rom-com clichés turned on their heads, this movie is a hidden gem.

2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

David Wain's "They Came Together" is a parody of all romantic comedies. It's a film that knows what it is and plays off of it. It's a simple story of boy meets girl, boy and girl fight, boy and girl separate, and boy and girl get back together. If you've ever seen a romantic comedy, you know what this story is and what will happen. Thanks to a talented cast, though, this film works for the most part. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler (who worked with Wain on "Wet Hot American Summer") have very good chemistry and the rest of the cast laughs along with them.

I went into this film skeptical about it and walked away laughing more than I thought I would. It's a silly movie that feels like a cult film. The humor can be very forced at times, but, for the most part, the jokes work. If you're looking for a good short laugh, you won't be wasting your money. There's a bunch of cameos and witty humor that will keep you engaged. This isn't a film that's trying to be great, and if you accept that, you'll have a fun time.

Takes a lot of comedy risks & elaborate visual gags, like Mel Brooks & the Scary Movie franchise decided fo make a made-for-tv movie. The acting is taken seriously and even toned despite the hard to achieve "bad acting" done on purpose.

If you like silly jokes and absurd gags, of the type of Leslie Nielsen movies, you will love this movie.