WHY HIM Review - Hysterical, LOL, A Silicon Valley Comedic Romp
- Details
- Category: Film
- Published on Thursday, 22 December 2016 07:19
- Written by Janet Walker
WHY HIM, from Twentieth Century Fox Films and TSG Entertainment, brings to the screen a laugh out loud comedic romp through Silicon Valley and the new age world of tech apps, platforms, coding, and the over the top creative extravagances.
Directed by John Hamburg WHY HIM stars Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch, Megan Mullally, Griffin Gluck, Keegan-Michael Key, Cedric the Entertainer, Zack Peralman, and Mary Pat Gleason, with cameo appearances by Elon Musk, Steve Aoki, Richard Blais and special guest stars, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss of KISS.
Academy award nominee Jonah Hill along with John Hamburg and Ian Helfer are responsible for the WHY HIM story and screenplay.
WHY HIM begins at the 50th Birthday party for Ned Fleming, played by Bryan Cranston. With him at Applebee’s for the party are Barb Fleming, played by Megan Mullally, his loving wife and college sweetheart, their son, Scotty, played by Griffin Gluck and most of their employees at Fleming Printers, including Lou Dunne, played by Cedric the Entertainer and his wife, Patty, played by Tangie Ambrose, Kevin Dingle, played by Zack Pearlman, Joyce, played by Mary Pat Gleason, and of course Jerry from Graphics, played by Bob Stephenson.
The only person missing from this family and extended family gathering is Stephanie, played by Zoey Deutch, the apple of Ned’s eye, his only daughter who is making the family proud at Stanford University. Of course she wouldn’t miss this night and through the magic of technology she is on the big screen wishing her dad the best birthday ever when behind her, the unknown to the family casual boyfriend, Laird something, played by James Franco, the boyfriend Stephanie forgot to mention to the family, walks in, and not seeing her connection or her family on the other side, drops his pants mooning the world, her parents, their friends all the while doing the love dance.
Well, as super protective Dad, Ned has never even heard of the boyfriend, a casual detail Stephanie forgot to mention. So the family, at Stephanie’s invitation decide maybe this is the Christmas to get away from bone chilling cold Michigan and head out to sunny Silicon valley.
Arriving at Laird’s house, the family is in for a bit of surprise as they meet the love of their usually sensible daughter’s life, the Silicon Valley tech billionaire, Laird Mayhew, who has everything except common sense and boundaries. His free spirit is a bit over the top for our conservative Ned.
This is where we formally meet Laird, who surfed the tech wave and made billions on the gaming market, where he is most comfortable in his over the top, super tech designed home, new money artistic tastes, and unusual, pseudo-sustainable raw food culinary persuasions.
Our solid middle class family from conservative Michigan is having a hard time adjusting to Laird and his over the top affection, man one minute, gaming adolescent champion the next, his Far East influences and need for the strange and unusual.
In addition to a digital house concierge, Laird employees a home manager, Gustav, played by Keegan-Michael Key, a far eastern influence of calm, Ninja warrior in hiding, and one who recognizes opportunity when it appears.
WHY HIM isn’t all fun and games. With Laird is hoping to marry Stephanie, and as modern and technology advanced as his life is, he shows a traditional side that makes him appear easily to manipulate when he asks permission from Ned to propose.
Ned, a conservative solid guy is carrying around his own business secret, his paper company is struggling to compete with digital costs and convenience.
I really enjoyed WHY HIM even with the bawdy, sophomoric humor. WHY HIM is laugh out-loud, over the top, funny, frolicking parody through the lives of the tech bubbles newest super gaming market tycoons.
Speaking of bawdy, WHY HIM does contain some bawdy humor, more than simply sophomoric, one particular scene is filled with extreme raunchy language and worse, one can say, as the scene revolves around attempting to gain unauthorized access to another's computer.
Clearly WHY HIM is a comedy, and instead of the usual whammy directors add every two to three minutes to sustain the attention, WHY HIM adds hilarious laughs at these whammy points, which equates to one continuous laugh track.
Just when you're over one laugh, the film rolls into another. The comedic timing of Ned Fleming/Bryan Cranston’s straight man to Laird Mayhew/James Franco over the top, no boundaries, funny man is impeccable as each plot to win the affection and loyalty of Stephanie.
Megan Mullally, some may remember her as Karen Walker from the long running Will & Grace, as conservative Barb Fleming, gets caught up in the Silicon Valley trap, Laird’s raw charm, compliments and yes, the money is a draw. Mullally has some nice moments as she familiarizes herself, with a little help from the house concierge, with some of the unique specialties available for the daring.
She and Bryan Cranston play well off each other and adding the element of young Scotty, played by Griffin Gluck, who is waiting for his moment to take over the family business and is spurred forward by the audacious and fearless Laird, his scenes are equally funny.
Gluck may have had the most challenging role, escaping from the pigeon hole his parents placed him and breaking away for the holiday with Laird's help. Beginning with a string of sophomoric word choices, he is inducted into the Silicon Valley next gen club.
Rounding out our comedic ensemble is house manger Gustav the all-seeing, all knowing, keeper of all secrets.
WHY HIM, is an uproarious, sidesplitting, raucous trip through Silicon Valley. Mocking the absurdities of the newest, first to have it, technological eccentricities and extravagances with self-triggered, ever present digital companions, sustainability, and paperless households.
WHY HIM is funny, funny, funny, solid laughs, solid fun, a little bawdy and loads of good cheer.
WHY HIM opens in theaters everywhere on December 23, 2016.
