Sisters (2015)

Sisters tries really hard. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler certainly have chemistry and some of the best moments of the movie come from that chemistry. Still, the film falls flat on its face more than once.The movie is mostly cringe humor. It's filled with one character or another doing something embarrassing. While this can be done really well if used correctly, Sisters seems to hit everything with the cringe hammer until it cries.This isn't really expected, and neither is the abundant use of bodily and sexual humor. There are some great moments in the movie relating to these, as well.The real issue with the movie is it feels like the writers went at it with a list of "funny" situations and tried to fit them all into a loose theme.

It's not uncommon to see Saturday Night Live alumni on the big screen together. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider, the list goes on. Now step forward Amy Poehler and Tina Fey who co-headline this enjoyable comedic romp to show that anything the boys can do, the ladies can do just as well.Kate (Fey) and Maura (Poehler) are sisters who have led very different lives since leaving the family home. Kate is a hairdresser whose free-spirited life has seen her own daughter become disillusioned with her, while Maura is a kind-spirited, recently divorced nurse who always puts others before herself. When their parents announce they are selling the family home, the two sisters seize the opportunity to have one last big party in the house before the uptight new owners move in.If you were lucky enough to catch Poehler and Fey back in the days when they were co-anchoring SNL's Weekend Update segment, you'll already know that they have great chemistry together. This is also not their first feature together, having previously co-starred in 2004's MEAN GIRLS and 2008's BABY MAMA, not forgetting hosting the Golden Globes. The two actresses are clearly having a ball here, cast as close but ultimately differently natured sisters, both responding to the trials and tribulations the world has given them in their own way. Fey is particularly fun here, really relishing the opportunity to play a character who is as vulgar with her language as she is carefree with her life choices.Inevitably with this sort of family-themed anarchic comedy, there are some life lessons to be had here. The choices we make in life and the bond between siblings are all explored in Paula Pell's script, which does at times cross over into cliché territory. SISTERS allows itself to slow down a bit too much in these moments to the point where the film looses some of its pacing. It's not enough to hamper the fun though, which is mostly consistent even if a few running gags don't quite hit as hard as they hoped (a mispronunciation of a Korean nail salon worker's name is played just that bit too long).While this is undoubtedly Poehler and Fey's film, the large supporting cast all get their moments too. As their parents James Brolin and Dianne Wiest register some decent laughs, as do fellow SNL alumni Maya Rudolph and WWE wrestler John Cena, who crops up for a cameo as a heavily tattooed drug dealer named Pazuzu (he also gets one of the film's most laugh-out-loud bits of dialogue).SISTERS' humour is heavy on the crude scale; there's things going up bums, jokes about masturbation and stories of peculiar sexual encounters. Much like TRAINWRECK earlier this year, SISTERS is not afraid to run with the female driven gross-out comedy element, and it's all the better for it. In fact, if it wasn't for some of the sagging issues when the inevitable third act life lessons begin, SISTERS could well have been a contender for comedy of the year. As it is, this is still a very enjoyable time in the company of two of Hollywood's funniest comediennes.

(Flash Review)At what lengths would you, as an adult, stoop to keep your childhood home more than just a memory? Poehler and Fey play adults with parents looking to move and downsize out of their family house. Poehler and Fey are not having any of it when asked to clean out their childhood bedrooms that haven't been touched since they moved out. Now back in town and remembering old friends, many of which now have children, they decide to throw an old school house party as a break from reality. How wild will it get? How much damage will be done? Will the parents still be able to sell or will they still decide to? Overall, this had better humor than most modern comedies these days of the same flavor. With ample crass and lewd moments, there are some actual smart gags and their overall tone is more light-hearted than dark. Unsurprisingly, the core story started to weaken toward the end as they had to deal with the actual plot. If you like the duo of Poehler and Fey, you'll enjoy this.

I wish I could give this piece of puerile garbage a big fat zero stars. I seem to be in good company in panning this cinematic abortion.I am no prude, but the non-stop vulgarity just about unhinged me. I've long been a Tina Fey fan, but I'm off her now for good.The only funny part was when the main male character landed on a dancing ballerina music box, and it went straight up his jacksy. I hope he was in a lot of pain.What an insult to our intelligence is this movie. I felt like opening the window after it was finally over.I'm glad I saw it for free on SKY.