Review of Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) by Thequietgamer — 09 Jul 2017

At first glance it looks like one of those comedies that is going to try getting by on having it's leads act ridiculous and over the top while firing off as many weird, profanity laced raunchy lines as possible. Yet it makes the most of it's four way team of Efron, Kendrick, Plaza, and Devine. They all bounce off of each other nicely. What really makes the movie work though is several, unbelievable set pieces that set a new high bar for dirtiness and shock value in comedies. Lately it seems like every R-rated comedy is trying to one up the rest in some way or another. Usually they try too hard and it ends up getting in the way of the actual humor. Not here though. I haven't seen a comedy that hits this level of vulgarity while still making me laugh in the process.

The plot is kind of bare as it's a sort of "we need to save the wedding and also grow up in the process" set-up. The sub-plots are actually pretty good here. One of the best goes to the bride-to-be's struggle with letting loose. A girl's just got to have fun sometimes, and seeing her try to cut loose leads to some of the movie's most outrageous and hilarious gags. Kendrick gets a nice one as well dealing with abandonment and heartbreak. Everyone else deals with things like insecurities and not being able to let go of one another and make their own path. It may all be pretty basic, but it's a little heart to the film to go alongside all of the filth.

Not everything is perfect though. They fire off a lot of lines here and not all of them are funny. Particularly early on. Devine is sometimes given some way too over-the-top moments like a particular crying scene with Jim Carrey-esque facial expressions that just feel out of place. Kendrick's character can also be a little too cartoonish to fit along as well. Efron and Plaza are perfect though. Carrying scenes where the other two are held back.

A comedy that will definitely surprise you with how far it is willing to go. However, it is likely also to surprise you just as much with how easily it can make you laugh. With four hilarious people center-stage and a great selection of supporting cast members and cameos to back them up, it's hard to not be pulled in by the amount of comedic talent onscreen. Especially since they are given some great, shocking stuff to work with.