You Again:"Emotional Terrorism at its Best"

Rating:

*½

By: Da’Mon Guy

       

By: Da’Mon Guy

     You Again is a lackluster, dullard of a family-oriented comedy that forces the audience into a stupor. The film is a hapless calamity that implements a light-hearted approach as it focuses on the over-glorified drama between women and the grudges that they maintain. This catastrophe stars Kristen Bell (When In Rome), Odette Annabelle (The Unborn), Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween films), Sigourney Weaver (Alien films), Betty White (The Proposal), Victor Garber (Milk), James Wolk (The Spiral Project), and Billy Unger (Cop Dog). It also features special appearances by Patrick Duffy (He's Such a Girl), and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Faster).

     After the discovery that her brother is marrying her former high school archrival, Marni Olsen (Bell) determines that she must break them up.

     You Again is a torturous, chaotic mishap that glorifies the modern obsession with drama. This debacle is an extremely spirited farce that highlights the significance of the popularity of high school and how the effects of it can either positively mold one’s life or obsessively dominate it. The movie is a prime comedic example of “girl drama” at his sickening best.

 

     Kristen Bell stars as Marni, a publicist who endured a tumultuous high school experience. Odette Annabelle stars as Joanne, the scourge of Marni’s existence during high school, is now the fiancée of Marni’s brother. After the discovery that Joanne (JJ) is marrying her brother, Marni becomes determined to thwart the union. In addition to Marni and JJ’s rivalry, Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver star as Marni’s mother (Curtis) and JJ’s aunt (Weaver) who share a similar rivalry from a generation before them. Hence, the jocular high jinks begin.

    

     This mishap contains some good attempts at comedy. It features a talented female cast that is completely misused as all of its participants give a good comedic effort with a mismanaged script. All five of the ladies bring some miniscule level of enjoyment to the film but the film’s shortcomings are what hinder You Again, not the actors. Billy Unger makes a scene stealing supporting role as Marni’s youngest brother.
    

     This mind numbing calamity has a lighthearted, almost silly approach, to the story that helps the entertaining value of it. In spite of that, it contains a minimal number of enjoyable moments as most of it feels like a dental visit. Much of it drags and drags as it attempts to amuse with its multiple misguided attempts to garner a laugh. The film’s futile humorous attempts fall a little short in terms of comedic enjoyment. It lacks the universal appeal to entertain both sexes or be considered a family film. Too much of the comedy is female orientated as men will not get the same level of enjoyment as women will.

     There are a very few positives about this disaster. First, You Again’s truly slapstick comedic moments are its best. The film flourishes most when one of the actors is involved in one of the zany physical scenes. These were the most enjoyable in the film. The girl drama is what is focused on but the physical moments when the girl drama hits the boiling point are when it shines. Second, deeply submerged within this humorous tragedy is a warm story that induces a number of themes such as family, change, forgiveness, and friendship. The movie has good thematic inferences embedded within it that illustrates how people can change for the better. It also highlights the importance of family. Marni (Bell) and JJ(Annabelle) overcome their differences to become family

     You Again is an exquisite example of “emotional terrorism.” The film creates this term and it aptly fits this movie. The film is an almost unendurable endeavor. The few shining moments are heavily outweighed by its bouts with ridiculousness. The film has a warm message but it is muddled because much of the film feels like you are being punished or placed in “time out.” The ridiculous rap scene at the wedding was enough to spur one’s visual gag reflex. It could’ve easily sent its viewers into a coma. You Again has many good intentions but not enough to entertain or even suggest that someone suffer through it.