bill bodkin reviews the new rom com…
Plot: After failing to get his wife (Olivia Munn) pregnant, a guy (Paul Schneider) recruits his pals (Kevin Hefferman, Nat Faxon, Jay Chandrasekhar) to steal the deposit he left at a sperm bank years ago.
The movie The Babymakers reminds me a lot of my beloved New York Giants and their Superbowl season last year. As many fans of Big Blue can attest to, the majority of the regular season wasn’t pretty, at times it was nigh unwatchable. But then players got healthy, team chemistry strengthened and the Giants became champions.
And that’s what exactly what happened in The Babymakers.
The first 25% of this pregnancy rom com is almost unwatchable. This can be attributed to the uncomfortably realistic manner with which the film deals with our lead character Tommy’s (Schneider) inability to get his wildly attractive wife Audrey (Munn) pregnant. It’s extremely awkward and not in a funny way, you’re almost cringing watching Munn and Schneider fumble through their scenes together. The two have almost zero chemistry and you can question why the film cast these two actors, fine performers outside of this film, as a couple.
And then a sweaty, drunken Indian man in a track suit comes along and turns the movie on its ear — taking The Babymakers from a dreadful rom com and turning it into a riotous caper film filled with belly laughs and a really sweet, tender heart.
And this is why you really need patience with The Babymakers, because once the lousy parts end, you’re given a terrific movie. It’s basically the equivalent of eating all your vegetables and then being able to enjoy an entire birthday cake.
Why the movie takes a complete 180 is because of the camaraderie that Hefferman, Faxon and Chandrasekhar have based on their collaborations in all the Broken Lizard movies (the films Chandrasekhar and Hefferman are famous for — Super Troopers, Beerfest, etc.). Once Chandrasekhar appears onscreen that old Broken Lizard magic sparks the comic juices and the trio click automatically — allowing them to cut loose and just be hilarious around each other. This chemistry perfectly allows Schneider to become the hapless straight man of the foursome — the guy always bewildered at the absurdity of friends, but yet still goes along for the ride.
And somehow, the addition of this bro-tastic bond, allows Schneider and Munn’s chemistry to not only materialize but flourishes. You finally see why these two were put together as our leads. Also, Munn gets to show off her comedic chops, proving she’s not just some gorgeous woman with a recognizable name thrown into the film to sell DVDs (see everyone from Vanessa Angel to Denise Richards).
The Babymakers may have a rough beginning, but stick with it and this will you lots of laughs — whether it be hanging with the guys or a date night with your loved one.
http://youtu.be/JkmLRkwjC_k
