Here’s my quickie Keeping Up With Joneses review:  I don’t understand why everyone is dog piling on this film, which only garnered a 16% fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating. It’s a perfectly harmless comedy, ideal for date night, and while you may not be ROFL, you’ll be well enough amused by the story of a nebbish couple (Isla Fisher and Zach Galifianakis) trying to “bond” with their sexy, super cool neighbors, played by Jon Hamm and Gal Godot, who turn out to be not so secret agents. What’s not to like about those two? Who needs original plotting or comedic genius? I’m perfectly satisfied just gawking…er…looking at them. Rated PG-13 / 1 hour 40 minutes

What I Learned About KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES at ‘Spy-ce’ Camp

Which would you rather: Be Mrs. Jon Hamm for a day, or be sexy Hollywood ‘it’ girl Gal Gadot for a day? Don’t hate me, but thanks to a promotion for Fox’s new film, Keeping Up With the Joneses, I got to do both…at the same time! I SO love my job!The film, opening Friday Oct. 21, revolves around an ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher) discovering it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses (Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot) – their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors – especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. “Jones” are covert operatives.

As you’ll note from the trailer, Mrs. Jones (Wonder Woman Gal Gadot) has many unexpected talents, including being an expert sky diver, darts player, and gourmet cook. So it was arranged for a group of L.A. area mommy bloggers and myself to attend a day-long “Spy-ce Camp,” where we would “learn some new spy-like skills to ‘Spy-ce’ up our lives as the characters do in the movie.”

First stop was iFly at the Universal City Walk, for a little sky diving simulation, something I’ve always wanted to try but never had the guts. Donning helmets, goggles and jumpsuits, we were given brief instructions, after which we threw ourselves into the windy vortex and hoped for the best. The best turned out to be outrageously fun!

Next it was down to the Residuals Bar (Hollywood insiders will appreciate the humor in the name) for lunch and a clinic with national darts champions. They were very patient with all us girly girls, as our throws went wild and nearly nailed them. Perhaps they should have opened our bar tab after we attempted our bullseyes.

We ended the day just down the street from my place, at the Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, where I picked out my birthday present, a Miele built-in coffee system. But I digress…that’s not what we were there for. We were actually there for a gourmet cooking lesson from Italian chef Saverio Posarelli, who greeted us, Bellinis in hand, and proceeded to show us how to make appetizers of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, risotto with kabocha squash served in mini pumpkins, and a dessert of fruit and ice cream served in a lingua de gato pastry that tastes a lot better than that sounds.

One of the fringe benefits of Spy-ce Camp was the opportunity to meet and mingle with my fellow campers, a passel of  fun Mommy Bloggers, like Jessica McDonald of TheHealthyMouse.com, Laura Nickerson of MomAngeles.com, Meredith Gordon of BadSandy.com and  Heather Brooker of MotherhoodinHollywood.com. That was a whole new world to me. Little did they know my only kid has four legs.

All in all, Spy-ce Camp may not have prepared me for a covert affair with Jon Hamm, (although I think I might be able to work out a pass from my husband by giving him one for Gal Gadot) but it did whet my appetite to see Keeping Up With the Joneses.

What I Learned About KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES at ‘Spy-ce’ Camp

#jonesesmovie