Amy Schumer's brand of comedy is as divisive as the comedian herself. While emerging as one of the most prominent female comedians from the US, she's gathered her fair share of detractors more recently, taking issue with her 'problematic' comedy content and views. Nevertheless, Snatched will hope to match and/or exceed the success of 2015's Trainwreck, a considerable hit for the star particularly at the domestic box office. Teaming up with Goldie Hawn (in her first film appearance since 2002), the mother-daughter comedy is unique enough in the marketplace - female-starring R-rated comedy, as well as Schumer's supporters - to attract its core demographic; but should the rest of us bother to snatch up some tickets?
Emily Middleton (Schumer) is determined to make the most out of a bad situation and invites her cautious mother, Linda (Hawn), to join her on a trip to Ecuador after being dumped by her boyfriend. What they share in familial DNA, they lack in a married personality, meaning the worlds-apart duo will have to quickly learn how to work together when they are kidnapped and held for ransom. In the ensuing chaos, the pair will hope to reconnect after a somewhat strained relationship - and hope to make it out alive to tell the tale.
What you take from Snatched depends almost entirely on what you think of Miss Schumer. She has never really impressed me but I don't have anything overtly against her; beside a couple of eye rolls every now and then, I haven't followed her enough to notice (or take great offence) at anything she says. Snatched follows my general viewpoint on the comedian - it's fine but it's nothing special, a decent way to pass 90 minutes but not one that can be heartily recommended. It will change no hearts or mind and many may struggle to stomach the occasionally self-indulgent antics, geared to conform to Schumer's stick as closely as possible. Relatively speaking, she and Hawn carry the piece nicely and at a mercifully slim 90 minutes, it never has time to grow stale but you sense it definitely could. It is spritely enough to zip through the various set pieces at speed and with enthusiasm, strung together by a just-about there story. Schumer and Hawn put in the effort to make the jokes work, effectively complimenting but then battling the script's inconsistencies at an infrequent pace. It's often a chuckle but nothing delivers a true belly-laugh.
Katie Dippold's script undermines Snatched by plumping for a more conventional, more formulaic route: what could have championed a more unique message and stronger display of theme work fails to register beyond the standard and basics. It goes through the motions, ticking off jokes and narrative beats like a checklist and never striving to be or do more than what is simply required of a comedy. With a combination of the rare R-rating and female lead, something far more interesting could have been presented to us - but instead we get a somewhat messy but generally passable film that could have easily swapped the mother-daughter relationship out for a father-son relationship, only swapping the vagina jokes for penis jokes. It feels disappointingly misguided, conforming to a well-worn structure without ever considering how to push the film for something a little more ambitious. This is all summarised with Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack's Ruth and Barb, who attempt to offer the film something fun and cooky to work with - but Dippold's scattershot script fails to develop them into something other than supporting characters required for the plot to transition between acts or help one of the leads at convenient times. Dropping in and out on a whim and a coincidence, they become frustrating and reflect, ultimately, the film's downfall - a lack of creativity.
With a sweet poignancy managing to break through at the end of the day, that can be mainly attributed to Schumer and Hawn's chemistry; the two actresses radiate a respect for one another, affording each their own moment - even if this remains The Amy Schumer Show for the majority of its run. Johnathan Levine emphasises that notion, placing her front and centre, although his direction is tight enough to streamline and move the story along effectively, with the set pieces coming in thick and fast and never spending too long dwelling on prolonged sequences. He understands that runtime can make or break a film and, to our relief, realises that there is simply not enough substance to the narrative to drag it out over the 90 minute mark kicking or screaming. It's smart and efficient film-making like this that can really impact the final product and the discipline employed by Levine concerning the runtime is one of the smartest thing about Snatched.
Snatched is recycled plot points and scattershot jokes that adhere rather strictly to an all-too familiar formula that could have been a lot better when considering the components involved. The combination of Schumer and Hawn is decent enough though, wringing the most out of a few scattered chuckles that just about salvages the otherwise predictable narrative from feeling totally redundant. It never make its own mark on the genre and it appears tightly geared to Schumer's comedic persona, meaning that your enthusiasm towards the mother-daughter comedy will depend on your likability and warmth towards the controversial star. No minds or heart will be changing based on this engineered comedy but those partial to a comedy and with 90 minutes to spare on a rainy afternoon may want to snatch up a ticket to this pass the time and have a giggle or two.
Summary: Ultimately, you will take out of Snatched what you put into it; if you head in with a clear dislike for Amy Schumer, this won't change your mind; but those more fond of the star will encounter a decent but forgettable comedy that ropes in a decent Goldie Hawn in for the ride.
Emily Middleton (Schumer) is determined to make the most out of a bad situation and invites her cautious mother, Linda (Hawn), to join her on a trip to Ecuador after being dumped by her boyfriend. What they share in familial DNA, they lack in a married personality, meaning the worlds-apart duo will have to quickly learn how to work together when they are kidnapped and held for ransom. In the ensuing chaos, the pair will hope to reconnect after a somewhat strained relationship - and hope to make it out alive to tell the tale.
What you take from Snatched depends almost entirely on what you think of Miss Schumer. She has never really impressed me but I don't have anything overtly against her; beside a couple of eye rolls every now and then, I haven't followed her enough to notice (or take great offence) at anything she says. Snatched follows my general viewpoint on the comedian - it's fine but it's nothing special, a decent way to pass 90 minutes but not one that can be heartily recommended. It will change no hearts or mind and many may struggle to stomach the occasionally self-indulgent antics, geared to conform to Schumer's stick as closely as possible. Relatively speaking, she and Hawn carry the piece nicely and at a mercifully slim 90 minutes, it never has time to grow stale but you sense it definitely could. It is spritely enough to zip through the various set pieces at speed and with enthusiasm, strung together by a just-about there story. Schumer and Hawn put in the effort to make the jokes work, effectively complimenting but then battling the script's inconsistencies at an infrequent pace. It's often a chuckle but nothing delivers a true belly-laugh.
Katie Dippold's script undermines Snatched by plumping for a more conventional, more formulaic route: what could have championed a more unique message and stronger display of theme work fails to register beyond the standard and basics. It goes through the motions, ticking off jokes and narrative beats like a checklist and never striving to be or do more than what is simply required of a comedy. With a combination of the rare R-rating and female lead, something far more interesting could have been presented to us - but instead we get a somewhat messy but generally passable film that could have easily swapped the mother-daughter relationship out for a father-son relationship, only swapping the vagina jokes for penis jokes. It feels disappointingly misguided, conforming to a well-worn structure without ever considering how to push the film for something a little more ambitious. This is all summarised with Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack's Ruth and Barb, who attempt to offer the film something fun and cooky to work with - but Dippold's scattershot script fails to develop them into something other than supporting characters required for the plot to transition between acts or help one of the leads at convenient times. Dropping in and out on a whim and a coincidence, they become frustrating and reflect, ultimately, the film's downfall - a lack of creativity.
With a sweet poignancy managing to break through at the end of the day, that can be mainly attributed to Schumer and Hawn's chemistry; the two actresses radiate a respect for one another, affording each their own moment - even if this remains The Amy Schumer Show for the majority of its run. Johnathan Levine emphasises that notion, placing her front and centre, although his direction is tight enough to streamline and move the story along effectively, with the set pieces coming in thick and fast and never spending too long dwelling on prolonged sequences. He understands that runtime can make or break a film and, to our relief, realises that there is simply not enough substance to the narrative to drag it out over the 90 minute mark kicking or screaming. It's smart and efficient film-making like this that can really impact the final product and the discipline employed by Levine concerning the runtime is one of the smartest thing about Snatched.
Snatched is recycled plot points and scattershot jokes that adhere rather strictly to an all-too familiar formula that could have been a lot better when considering the components involved. The combination of Schumer and Hawn is decent enough though, wringing the most out of a few scattered chuckles that just about salvages the otherwise predictable narrative from feeling totally redundant. It never make its own mark on the genre and it appears tightly geared to Schumer's comedic persona, meaning that your enthusiasm towards the mother-daughter comedy will depend on your likability and warmth towards the controversial star. No minds or heart will be changing based on this engineered comedy but those partial to a comedy and with 90 minutes to spare on a rainy afternoon may want to snatch up a ticket to this pass the time and have a giggle or two.
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
(5/10)
Summary: Ultimately, you will take out of Snatched what you put into it; if you head in with a clear dislike for Amy Schumer, this won't change your mind; but those more fond of the star will encounter a decent but forgettable comedy that ropes in a decent Goldie Hawn in for the ride.