Search Party (2016)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Listen, I had a good solid beer buzz watching this, same as all the Hangover movies. The Hangover movies? I was busting up! THIS movie?!, well OK, I had a few laughs, I don't regret watching it while a bit on the drunk side, but it's really is just a piggy back kinda rip-off of the hangover movies... grab some brews... catch a buzz, you'll be somewhat entertained, but it's not brilliance, or comedic gold by any standard... it is what it is, an attempt to capitalize on the hangover movies...just really REALLY late...lolwhat else can I say to make this long enough?! get some brews first, it will be a bit funnier that way!

Whoever that one guy is, you know the guy I'm talking about. The guy who happens to be the reason anyone would even watch this movie. He is in this movie but not funny. The poor guy just doesn't have any material to work with. The dialog is dry and unfunny and after 20 minutes of giving this movie a chance, I had to stop watching. I refused to even give it a chance because this is a freaking comedy that didn't even make me crack a smile. Hey, there is a reason this movie is a straight to video deal, because it sucks. I mean, the beginning wedding scene should have been grand and funny and the shot in the arm and blah and whatever. This movie isn't even worth reviewing or watching or whatever. Save your time and skip it, you'll thank me.

"Search Party" is raunchy and raucous, derivative and more familiar than original. The actors approach the material with a lot of energy, but often seem one-note, although this is largely a consequence of limitations in the script. It offers a fair number of laughs, although some of the material falls flat and some is painfully awkward. One character spends much of the movie fully nude and to his credit, approaches the role without reservations. But the sheer volume of full-frontal male nudity raises the question of why screenwriters and filmmakers present naked characters on screen. One reason is for erotic stimulation and titillation, which would not seem to be the purpose here. Another might be for comic effect, but that quickly wears thin. The more valid reasons would be to make the character vulnerable or honest. Here we get some comic effect and vulnerability mileage, but neither is exploited fully. Being vulnerable before an anonymous third-world hooker doesn't have the same comic potential as being naked before one's boss, mother- in-law or a capacity crowd at a sports tournament. More judicious presentation of male nudity with greater intensity might have been more successful. The film's greatest shortcoming is that the characters don't have strong motivations for their outrageous, illogical and dangerous actions. They often seem trying to sell their motivations to the audience and to one another. The motivations should be obvious. Given the familiar arc of boy meets girl / boy loses girl / boy wins girl back, we should understand the dynamics of each transition and what they see in each other to form our own opinions as to whether they belong together or not. We shouldn't see a couple of drunk, stoned guys sitting in a van presenting detached exposition. We should see the change in both characters. What is her life like without him and his life without her? What do they learn and experience that causes them to realize their mistake and reassess their positions? We don't want to see them embrace and tell one another about it. We should already know. While the film is similar to "The Hangover" in many respects, there is a significant difference in that the betrothed couple disavow their love for one another. In TH, the three best men merely had to get Doug back in time for the ceremony. In SP, the bride and groom need to prove their love for one another and their worthiness. The journey to Mexico doesn't really cut it, as it could be no more than stalking and an immature refusal to accept rejection. Evan is the one who risks his career to prove his friendship to Nardo, but his initial participation is involuntary. The hardships they endure are unanticipated, so don't have the same dramatic impact as knowingly undertaking risks. Evan chooses to continue the journey rather than returning to salvage his career, but even this is undermined because he later declares ulterior motives. The characters don't reach a point where they deliberately risk everything to achieve their goals. Nor is there a compelling moment when all seems lost. The film is a pleasant diversion. It's not hilarious, but tries to be funny and often succeeds. Given its obvious budgetary constraints, production values are adequate. It's not cerebral, but doesn't try to be. It tries to be outrageous and often succeeds. The film is worth viewing and offers a fair number of laughs if ones expectations aren't too high.

Nardo is one of three idiot friends. When Jason, the most idiot of the three idiot friends, fouls up Nardo's wedding, Nardo goes after fiancée Tracy, who has gone to Mexico to enjoy the pre-booked honeymoon holiday on her own. After Nardo is carjacked and left naked in remote Mexican badlands, the other two idiots have to go and rescue him.Search Party badly wants to be The Hangover, and isn't. TJ Miller, who seemed to have cornered the market in annoying idiot friends until Zack Galifinakifianikanifikianikis came along, is as annoying as ever: being annoying isn't necessarily humour, though.There are precisely four reasons for seeing this movie: they are Shannon Woodward (fiancée Tracy, cute in a bikini), Rosa Salazar (waitress Pocohontas, cute in a short Red Indian outfit), Krysten Ritter (bar pick-up Christy, hot in sexy undies), and Alison Brie (co-worker Elizabeth, opulent in clinging office wear). Conversely, Nardo/Thomas Middleditch's member gets rather more screen time than it deserves, and wasn't a plus point in my book.This is one of those comedies which substitutes stupid and annoying for funny, as a result of which I found it stupid and annoying. And not funny.