Brother Nature (2016) Reviews

• More Annoying Than Funny

  larrys32016-12-14

  Former SNL cast member Taran Killam portrays Roger, a straight-laced and fastidious Chief of Staff to a Seattle Congressman, who suddenly informs Roger he's retiring. The Congressman offers to endorse Roger if he wants to run, and he enthusiastically accepts. First though, Roger will take a week off and go with his girlfriend Gwen (Gillian Jacobs) to visit her family at their lakeside cabins, where he intends to propose. I imagine you have already guessed things will not go according to plan. I'm sure most of us have seen movies where there's always one character that is incredibly frenetic and obnoxious with no respect for other's boundaries, yet the remainder of the family just thinks he's wonderful. Such is the case here with Todd (Bobby Moynihan), possibly Roger's future brother-in-law, who makes Roger's time at the cabin a living hell. The late Chris Farley often played this type of character, but Farley had such an endearing quality about him that it was usually very funny. Unfortunately, the character of Todd here just became highly annoying, even painful to witness for me, as the film progressed. Despite the customary 180's near the end of the movie, the damage had already been done for me, The one bright spot in the film was the understated humor of Kumail Nanjami, who I thought was quite funny as Riggleman, Roger's top aide. Overall, I felt this movie provided a few laughs here and there, but the intended humor just didn't work for me.

• Not funny at all. A pitiful attempt at the holiday movie.

  tinusoosthuizen862016-09-28

  This must be one of the worst movies I have seen all year. As a comedy there is almost nothing funny about this desperate attempt at humour. The characters are stereotypical and one dimensional, and though there was obviously a big enough budget to create a platform for some potential fun, the dialogue and character development doesn't fail to disappoint time and time again. I don't understand why good actors like Gillian Jacobs would sign up for this type of drivel. But actually I'm just saying this to try and fill up the prerequisite 10 line of print that this site requires for one to submit a review. Btw, the character of the step-brother is utterly pathetic. Why do people think this type of humour (South African spelling) is funny? I'm not asking for the next holy grail in comedy, but at least make a better attempt at finding authentic humour. The only reason I am posting this review is to warn anyone who hasn't seen it not to waste their time.

• A Saturnday Night Live sketch that becomes too long.

  subxerogravity2016-09-30

  Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan,attempt to prove that they have what it takes to be like other Saturday Night Live not ready for Prime Time players, who have become movie stars with Brother Nature. Produced by their boss over at SNL, Lorne Michaels, he gives these two (and another one of his employees, Kenan Thompson) the time off to make this flick. Killan plays a campaign manager, about to run for congress at the same time propose to his girlfriend, when he goes on a weekend get away to meet her family that includes her sister's boyfriend, played by Moynihan whose far too into the idea that the two could poetically be brother-In-Laws Nothing out of the ordinary that makes this very funny, expect for Moynihan whose performance does stand out despite Killan playing the lead straight man. Kumail Nanjiani as Riggleman, Killan's friend and co worker in the movie, had some note worthy laughs as well, and the chemistry between Bill Pullman and Rita Wilson was hilarious too. Altogether though it works if you are a Saturday Night Live fan cause that's the comedy that's displayed here.

• Starts off well, falters in its second half and is never able to recover.

  MovieAddict20162016-09-25

  "Brother Nature" is reminiscent of countless comedies, ranging from "What About Bob" to "The Great Outdoors." It's one of those classic formulas where a straight-faced, straight-laced guy (in this case, Taran Killiam, from "SNL") encounters someone who is obnoxiously wacky and has a potential mean streak that no one else ever seems to notice (Bobby Moynihan, also from "SNL"). Killiam's character becomes more and more exasperated, and there are hints at times that Moynihan's character is deliberately sabotaging him a la "The Cable Guy." The first half is quite funny -- Killiam is a weak lead, but Moynihan is hilarious, and has a number of moments that made me laugh out loud. But they don't really go anywhere with the idea that Moynihan is subversively destroying Killiam (the film seems to hint at it, and then promptly drops it); they also opt for a safe conclusion by fundamentally changing the nature of Moynihan's character, as, in the first half, he's an obnoxious goofball who no one would ever like, but towards the end he's suddenly a calmer, more sympathetic version of the same character, as if his apparently intentional attacks on Killiam earlier in the film never happened. Whether this is studio intervention (the ending certainly seems like something that would be tacked on after poor test screenings), who knows, but ultimately this movie goes from a 7/10 to a 5/10 simply because its second half egregiously missteps and the movie is never able to recover from it. Those early scenes with Moynihan, though, reveal great potential for the actor.

• Tales of a middle age movie lover

  quothage2016-09-16

  What can a middle age movie lover tell you about Brother Romance? I'll start with that I was immediately alarmed about the more than a passing resemblance to "The Great Outdoors" (TGO). A film about a man who goes to a cabin for a holiday only to find it ruined by a brother in law. Brother Romance is basically a remake, and, as with most of our current crop of remakes doesn't do it as well. Which is troubling, TGO is not exactly a classic (although I like it, John Candy is gold), meaning Brother Romance falls squarely in to the "meh" rating of films. Acting and characters are in line with the genre. Generally scenarios are OTT and over played. The story line leans on plenty of clichés; Animal attacks, fart jokes, in laws messing things up, repentance of lead character. I could go on, but there's nothing more that needs to be said. TGO is a better film, but being nearly 30 years old, probably won't hit the mark with younger audiences and I guess, Brother Romance will have to fill the spot to modernize lake based comedy of errors.