Ready or Not (2009)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

A group of uninteresting blokes with spare cash and low intellect party in Vegas to see off their bud, who is about to get married. One of the pathetic bunch of losers plans various side events like getting the bachelor dressed in women's lingerie and pushing him off a plane with a parachute. Things go awry when instead of jumping out at a preset location they jump off the plane in the middle of Mexico... cashless and lost they attempt to get to the wedding on time...Theoretically a good excuse for a plot. But you need a writer with some wit and actors with some charm. We have none of these prerequisite. Our heroes aren't even introduced to us before they are dropped on the Mexican soil. And you never really get a chance to know them, even more to like them.Basically this feels more like an attempt at giving us a movie of HOW NOT TO MAKE A VEGAS BACHELOR PARTY flick. No gracias. Pass at any cost. It doesn't even have any decent fart jokes...

First off you have you're stereotypical college buddies. The tool-cool confirmed bachelor doesn't believe in blood. The whiny loser looking for love. The inconvenient married guy hen-picked looking to cut loose since his over-bearing wife isn't there. They have the strippers come thru and wake-up jumping from one telegraphed cliché to another. The GANGSTERs house who treats him good and betas everyone else. Warn them not to touch his sister, wife, daughter, they do, and are hunted. The come to Jesus moment in the Indian Peyot tent. The ending is stupid and thru-out the entire movie you're thinking thats how its going to end. It's a long way for no pay-off, no comedy, and no nudity.

IMDb's plot description makes it sound like a cheap cartoonish college romp with grossout humor, ala American Pie or Without a Paddle, but this is really nothing of the sort.This movie is a relentless adventure from beginning to end. It hits the ground running with 4 guys at a wild Vegas bachelor party (with basically no introductions, you learn about these people through the story). Things go wrong, and soon they're running around Mexico in tuxedos (it's more fun if I don't tell you how they got there), trying to get home in time for the wedding, with no money, continuing to party while simultaneously debating the merits of marriage versus bachelorhood all the way through. Despite that plot, which IS a pretty accurate description of what you're seeing most of the time, this is actually a rather adult coming-of-age exploration with realistic characters. They're in a collective transition between keggers and picket fences, that depressing era in life when you're either getting married or watching your friends do so, a readily identifiable situation for almost anyone. The true depth of that perilous time is felt and explored almost completely. These guys could easily be your real-life friends, and a couple wrong turns at a wild enough party might even land you in a similar situation. Yes, this film is equal parts humor and serious reflection. It's got depth and morals, but a surprise around every turn. You really won't have a clue what's coming next, which makes you feel like you're experiencing the adventure along with them.I could've done without the cornball ending. The story turns in on itself, deus-ex-machina style, betraying its adventurous spirit. The adventure really would've worked better at face value, but oh well.It's a lot of fun, it's thought-provoking, and it stays with you. It's also a great production, with acting, directing, and camera work that all seem to be top-notch. I haven't looked into the film's actual level of "independence", so to speak, but to me it looked worthy of big-budget Hollywood. The writing was great too, with the possible exception of that ending which I already complained about. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this and it never left me bored. A superb film in my humble opinion. If you revel in the feeling of not knowing what's coming next, and if you find yourself pondering life's journey from time to time, I think you'll enjoy this.

Imagine a bunch of buddies who end in Mexico because they jumped out a plane whose pilot couldn't handle the map. All of them have been on a stag night and now find themselves guest of a local crime lord.This is worse (Or at least at bad) as it sounds - there is nothing here to lift this out of the mainly boring category - the script hasn't got the spark necessary, the plot is turgid, and while everyone is engaged in the project (SO it get's a 2 from me) it just is flat out non-entertaining.I can't work out why this got made when better scripts and better projects don't: it isn't original, it isn't fun or funny, character development is sketchy at best, and all in all, it's just plain boring.I guess someone will love this but not me.