Review of Why Him? (2016) by Marcel A — 03 Jan 2017
In a dismal year for comedies, this holiday pairing of Bryan Cranston and James Franco could have given the genre the boost it so desperately needs right now. To their credit, both actors earn points for effort in portraying their characters' war of wills during a family Christmas in San Jose, with Cranston playing Ned, a protective father trying desperately to lure his college-age daughter away from Laird, Franco's free-spirited, potty-mouthed tech millionaire.
Franco in particular manages to draw some chuckles with his go-for-broke performance here, perfectly cast as the eccentric foil whose disarming lack of guile quickly wins over the rest of the family, much to Ned's ire.
Extra points to Keegan-Michael Key as Laird's personal assistant Gustav, a weird hybrid of Tony Robbins and C-3P0 with a faux German accent. Still, 'Why Him?" lacks any solid bellylaughs, failing to transcend the many clichés of the 'dad vs.
boyfriend' story we've seen countless times before.
This review of Why Him? (2016) was written by Marcel A on 03 Jan 2017.
Why Him? has generally received mixed reviews.
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