Synopsis: Two friends find themselves caught up in mayhem involving killers, monsters and supernatural creatures once again.
Director: Michael Tiddes
Stars: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans
With all due respect to director Michael Tiddes, let’s be clear: this is a Wayans family movie. Tiddes shouldn’t take offense to that statement. After all, he has directed several Wayans projects, including Naked, Fifty Shades of Black, and both A Haunted House films, so he knows exactly what he signed up for. Is there anyone who considers the last few Mission: Impossible films to be Christopher McQuarrie movies? Of course not. They’re Tom Cruise movies. The same logic applies here.
The comedic genius of the Wayans family has been entertaining audiences for decades. From In Living Color to White Chicks, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, and the original Scary Movie, they have built careers on pushing boundaries and delivering comedy that is as outrageous as it is memorable.
The latest Scary Movie continues that tradition, taking aim at recent blockbuster films, pop culture, celebrity headlines, and current events. Like every entry in the franchise, virtually nothing is off limits. It’s difficult to discuss many of the film’s biggest laughs without spoiling them, but suffice it to say there are a handful of genuinely inspired sequences that reminded me why the Wayans were so successful in the first place.
Not everything was revealed in the trailers, which is refreshing. Several of the film’s best jokes arrive completely out of nowhere, and they hit hard. There were moments when I laughed louder at this movie than I have at almost anything else released this year. When the Wayans find the right target and fully commit to the bit, they’re still among the funniest comedic voices working today.
Unfortunately, those highs are balanced by some equally disappointing lows.
The film is remarkably inconsistent. For every joke that lands, another overstays its welcome or simply isn’t funny. Some sketches are stretched far beyond their natural conclusion, while others feel like half-formed ideas that never develop into anything memorable. Instead of building momentum, the movie often feels like a collection of disconnected comedy sketches with wildly different levels of quality.
That inconsistency becomes its biggest problem. Just when the film finds its rhythm and seems ready to deliver one hilarious sequence after another, it follows it up with a joke that completely misses the mark. The stop-and-start nature of the comedy prevents the movie from ever reaching the sustained level of hilarity that fans might expect from the creators of the original Scary Movie.
Some of the pop culture references are also likely to age quickly. While that’s almost unavoidable in a spoof film, several jokes already feel more like fleeting internet memes than timeless comedy. The best parody films work because they remain funny long after the specific references have faded. Here, a number of jokes feel destined to lose their impact in just a few years.
The cast, however, commits wholeheartedly to the material. No matter how ridiculous the scenario becomes, everyone throws themselves into the insanity with complete confidence. That level of commitment helps elevate even some of the weaker material and keeps the pacing moving briskly enough that the movie rarely becomes boring.
Fans of the franchise will likely appreciate the callbacks and familiar style of humour, while newcomers should know exactly what they’re getting into. This isn’t sophisticated satire or clever social commentary. It’s loud, crude, juvenile, and intentionally ridiculous. Sometimes that’s exactly what audiences are looking for.
I just wish it had been funnier more often.
Instead of becoming a triumphant return for one of comedy’s most recognizable franchises, Scary Movie settles for being a reasonably entertaining sequel that never quite reaches its full potential.
It’s a movie with flashes of comedic brilliance, but one that ultimately isn’t as consistently funny as it should have been.
Grade: C-
