Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Vacation Friends - Hulu Review


Starring John Cena, Lil Rey Howery, Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner, Robert Wisdom, Lynn Whitfield and Tawny Newsome.
Written by Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen, Clay Tarver, Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley.
Directed by Clay Tarver.

★★★

Is sincerity making a comeback in comedy? Maybe so. The eternally optimistic Ted Lasso swept the Emmys, and here comes a raunchy comedy that manages to combine The Hangover and Wedding Crashers and still reveal a heart the longer it goes.

Lil Rey Howery, scene-stealer in supporting roles in everything from Get Out to Free Guy, gets to be a lead here, in the uptight straight-man role as Marcus, who takes his girlfriend Emily (Yvonne Orji) to Cancun where he plans to pop the question. Unfortunately their room is flooded because the couple upstairs left their jacuzzi water running.

That couple are Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), a wild, irresponsible pair who live life to the fullest. At first Marcus & Emily resist, but they eventually get on the same YOLO wavelength and allow themselves to get crazy. They part as vacation friends, but Marcus & Emily are determined to never see them again.

Wellllllllll, seven months later, at Marcus & Emily's wedding, guess who decides to show up and keep the party going?

John Cena has demonstrated his strength is in comedy (Blockers, The Suicide Squad) and he doesn't disappoint here, and he has great odd-couple chemistry with Howery, not to mention he and Hagner make a great crazy couple. Orji probably is given the least amount to do of the four but she has her moments too.

I've heard they've already greenlit a sequel. Great. I hope they pull an unsuspecting third couple into their orbit next time.

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