Lisa Johnson Mandell’s You’re Cordially Invited review and Back in Action review begs the question, what’s wrong with silly fun involving some of your favorite comedic actors?

You’re Cordially Invited review

No one is expecting Academy Award worthy performances from a romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. What most people are expecting is a lot of wacky fun—especially since the poster features Ferrell wrestling an alligator. I’m happy to say that You’re Cordially Invited delivers.

The plot centers around two wedding parties accidentally scheduled for the same time in the same place; a quaint resort island in Florida. Witherspoon is the realty TV producing wedding planner for her naive younger sister, and Ferrell is the clingy widowed father of the bride who is funding his daughter’s wedding.

Both are determined to make theirs into the grandest, most romantic wedding ever, regardless of what it does to the conflicting event. As you can easily guess, mayhem ensues.

The film is directed by Nicholas Stoller who has also had a hand in favored comedies including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and Neighbors, so it has a more than adequate pedigree.

Sure all the characters are over the top. Ever seen a zany comedy where they weren’t? You were expecting subtlety from Will Ferrel? Although the cringy father/daughter relationship gags are numerous, they never get old. And there’s the chance that Gen Z will not like the extreme way they’re depicted.

But in the end, the film is a well-meaning relief after a long day of dealing with the conflicts and chaos that often punctuate our lives. And since You’re Cordially Invited is a streamer, you don’t need to worry about getting dressed and putting on makeup to see it. Thank you Amazon!

Rated R

1 Hour 36 Minutes

Back In Action review

Welcome back Cameron Diaz! Oh how we’ve missed you! Has it really been 11 years? You haven’t aged a day!

Regardless of the fact that this Netflix action comedy isn’t the most original movie you’ve ever seen, and it’s far from a deep and substantial epic, Back in Action throws an amusing curve or two, and the clever teaming of Diaz with Jamie Foxx is fun and refreshing.

The two energetic actors play a couple who met back in the days when they were nubile CIA super spies, kicking international butt and taking hard-to-spell names. When Diaz’s Emily reveals she’s pregnant, she and Foxx’s Matt decide to give up their exciting yet dangerous lives and change their identities to raise their upcoming daughter and son in the dull yet safe confines of suburbia.

But Matt and Emily didn’t raise fools. Their now teenage and preteen kids realize that their parents are hiding something, and relationships are strained because of it. It all comes to a head when the parents’ past catches up with them, and they’re forced to take their kids along for the ride on a frantic journey to reconcile their past.

Back in Action is directed by Seth Gordon, who leaps back and forth between comedy features and documentaries. He’s more acclaimed for docs like Bill Nye: Science Guy and Served Like a Girl, which both have 100% fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, than for comedies like 2022’s The Lost City and 2017’s Baywatch, which have substantially lower Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Many people wonder why Diaz chose this particular film for her long awaited comeback. But I must say I respect her choice. Back in Action was not overly challenging, it’s good clean fun for the whole family, and it’s something that that she can handily slip right into as she eases her way back into (or not) the rat race that is Hollywood. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all make career choices that are so much fun?

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 54 Minutes

If this You’re Cordially Invited review and/or Back in Action review encourage you to kick back at home and watch, find them on Amazon Prime and Netflix respectively.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s You’re Cordially Invited review and Back in Action review begs the question, what’s wrong with silly fun involving some of your favorite comedic actors?