Mike (Adam Devine; Pitch Perfect) and Dave are the life of every party they go to - or so they think. Their "shenanigans" always start out fun and everyone seems to laugh, but invariably something goes wrong and disaster happens. So when Mike and Dave's sister, Jeanie (Sugar Lyn Beard; 50/50) plans her wedding, their parents tell Mike and Dave they need to bring "nice girl" dates to the wedding. Enter Alice (Anna Kendrick; Up In The Air) and Tatiana (Aubry Plaza; Parks and Recreation).
Alice was dumped at the altar and still hasn't gotten over it. Tatiana, her best friend, is going nowhere fast and only seems to egg Alice's crazy behavior on. When they see Mike and Dave on TV talking about the dates they need for the Hawaiian wedding, they devise a plan to pretend to be nice girls to get Mike and Dave to take them. Once their plan works, they let loose in Hawaii and turn out to be even more destructive than Mike and Dave themselves. In the end things turn out ok, but, needless to say, hilarious moments ensue in the interim.
Efron and Devine do a good job but the real focus of this film is the ladies. Kendrick and Plaza are great and Alice Wetterlund (Girl Code), who plays Mike's nemesis cousin, Terry, has some hilarious moments as well. Beard and Sam Richardson (Veep) as Eric round out this young cast. Honorable mention needs to go to Kumail Nanjiani as the masseuse, Keanu (Sex Tape), for probably one of the funniest scenes in the whole film.
It isn't surprising that Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is written by Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien, as it encompasses the same humor that they have given us in the past with Neighbors. The jokes and pranks have that same "frat boy" mentality and their characters seem to have a similar intellect and demeanor. Typically, they tell a story of guys who can't seem to grow up and who think potty humor and "keggers" is the norm for adults. While it isn't my type of comedy, there is a segment of the population who will find much of the laughs appealing and the writing itself isn't horrible.
The Hawaiian setting, however, makes for some beautiful visuals and serene moments in between the prat falls and sexual jokes. The production value is certainly what you would expect from this type of film, as I'm sure it was slapped together in a short time frame on a minimal budget.
For those who appreciate a good old-fashioned non-thinking comedy, Mike And Dave is a solid effort from a team that has proven they make movies that appeal to a certain segment of the population. With a few funny laughs it lends itself to those who want to have a fun night out and just enjoys an evening at the movies.
Grade: C+
