It is a summer of streaming thanks to quarantine orders and a flurry of new content.
Currently, Netflix has two star-studded new comedies, as David Spade and Lauren Lapkus star in “The Wrong Missy,” while Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae star in “The Lovebirds.”
Which one do you choose? Time for a double movie review for your weekend enjoyment.
‘The Wrong Missy’
Presented by Adam Sandler’s production company Happy Madison, “The Wrong Missy” is an admittedly lowbrow and extremely slapstick look at the pitfalls of modern dating, as faceless texting causes a classic “wrong man” scenario, or in this case, the wrong woman.
It follows a jaded recent divorcee, Tim Morris (David Spade), who meets the woman of his dreams, Melissa (Molly Sims), during a chance airport encounter. However, when he goes to text her, he accidentally messages a different Missy (Lauren Lapkus) from a previous dating app nightmare. Chaos ensues when he invites her on a company retreat to Hawaii.
Catapulted by TV’s “SNL” (1990-1996) and “Just Shoot Me” (1997-2003), Spade has rocked the big screen as both the straight man in “Tommy Boy” (1993) and the goofball in “Joe Dirt” (2001). Now, he’s back to playing the straight man, which is what he does best.
Rather than Chris Farley, he’s asked to play off Lapkus, who won a SAG Award as part of the ensemble of “Orange is the New Black” (2015) and earned an Emmy nomination for “The Earliest Show” (2016). Her comedy chops are legit, but she hams it up a bit too much in an over-the-top performance. She’s meant to be annoying — and that’s what she is.
The third side of the love triangle is lacking. After a perfectly executed “meet cute” at the airport, we’re rooting for Sims as his soul mate. Bizarrely, the script then ditches her until the end of the movie. It would have been better to keep her present on the other end of the phone, but Spade doesn’t text her explaining his mistake until well after the midpoint.
Yes, we know the formula: his character is supposed to grow to love the hapless gal more than the ideal object, but the third side of the love triangle has to exist. Instead, the third wheel becomes his jealous ex-wife (Sarah Chalke), leading to a hotel threesome that doesn’t add sympathy for any of their characters except to add awkward shock value.
It’s just one of many overdone moments by screenwriters Chris Pappas and Kevin Barnett, who co-wrote Spade’s “The Do-Over” (2018), and director Tyler Spindel, who directed him in “Father of the Year” (2018). It’s the broadest possible comedy for the lowest common denominator laughs as Lapkus falls off a cliff and bounces off jagged rocks and tree limbs.
Sure, that’s the Happy Madison brand, with Sandler taking batting-cage pitches straight to the forehead in “Happy Gilmore” (1996), but even his funniest flicks aren’t death defying. Remember, the O’Doyles actually died when their car plunged off a cliff in “Billy Madison” (1995), yet somehow Lapkus is able to walk it off with the resilience of Wile E. Coyote.
As expected, the entire Sandler gang is here with wife Jackie Sandler as a rival co-worker and pal Rob Schneider as a fishing boat captain, not to mention nephew Jared Sandler and Chris Farley’s youngest brother John Farley. Throw in cameos by Roman Reigns and Vanilla Ice and you have a Netflix romp that has its funny moments but tries too hard.
‘The Lovebirds’
Your better option is “The Lovebirds,” the latest from filmmaker Michael Showalter, who co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer” (2001) and directed a gem in “The Big Sick” (2017).
It follows a bickering couple, Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae), who are about to break up when they become caught up in a murder mystery, exposing them to the seedy criminal underworld of New Orleans, from gang meetings to masquerade parties.
Nanjiani and Rae are both proven comedic talents from “The Big Sick” and “Insecure,” respectively. They hilariously play off each other with rapid-fire banter, whether disagreeing over the merits of “The Amazing Race” or pleading for their lives during a laugh-out-loud torture scene by a pair of two-bit hustlers played by Anna Camp and Kyle Bornheimer.
It’s a clever concept for their character arc to be that of a strained couple that has gotten sick of each other and needs to fall back in love, rather than the other way around. As such, Showalter uses physical space to symbolize the characters’ emotional distance.
Screenwriters Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall of “The Go-Getters” (2018) combine the carjacking premise of “Stuber” (2019) with the drive-home danger of “Queen & Slim” (2019), only with much funnier dialogue. You’ll enjoy the basic nicknames they give total strangers they encounter, from Bicycle (Nicholas X. Parsons) to Mustache (Paul Starks).
Best of all is the Seinfeldian observational humor asking why cars still have cigarette lighters and why milkshake orders always come with an extra cup. The latter is an instant classic, reminiscent of Jack Nicholson ordering the toast in “Five Easy Pieces” (1970).
In the end, both “The Wrong Missy” and “The Lovebirds” are worth a lighthearted watch this weekend if you’re already paying for a Netflix subscription. Just lower your expectations on one and prepare your expectations to be exceeded on the other.
“The Wrong Missy” rating:
“The Lovebirds” rating:
