Why Him? Movie Voodoo Reviewed by Chris Hembury

Why Him? ***

Bryan Cranston and James Franco star in Meet the Parents style comedy... with swearing... oh and a dead moose in a urine filled tank. 

That about sums up the measure of this comedy that has decided it's going to be a down and dirty and never strays. 

James Franco plays the Hippie like Billionaire "Laird" who is in love with tight laced print factory owner Ned's (Cranston) Daughter.  In order to meet Laird, Ned's whole family is travelling to Laird's mansion to spend the Christmas Holidays there and bond. 

Whilst Ned's wife and son are somewhat charmed by Laird's inner child charm Ned is instantly repulsed by this foul mouthed, loud mouthed, dirty mouthed eccentric but equally alarmed that his sweet daughter has fallen for him. 

One could even as.... Why Him? ;)

So the story kicks into gear with Laird trying to win Ned's affections by Christmas Day so he can can ask his daughter to marry him. Instead of being wooed Ned becomes more worried as Laird's attempts to impress back fire whilst Ned's instead attempts to prove that Laird is a fraud. And here we have Meet The Parents on acid including drug fuelled parties, dodgy tattoos, vaginal cleansing and testicle biting oh yes and that dead moose in the urine filled tank.  

There are two real assets to this comedy as you might have guessed one being Cranston who goes full circle from Breaking Bad and Trumbo returning to his more Malcolm in the Middle persona looking like his having great fun having a break from the Drama Baird's for a while. Whilst there are a number of actors who could have taken on Ned's straight laced role and done a equally good job - Laird really was made his own from Franco. From his first appearance Franco switches the energy to high, maintains and entertainingly engages every scene with that balls out humour and at times that is literally happens as well.  

Deadpool may have more to answer for than we think. Ever since the R rated film super hero film went out instead of a safe PG13 and made a ton at the box office. A message was sent out that teen/adults had a fill of every film being cut into a PG13 including the likes of Die Hard box office success was more important than film quality. So 20th century fox's success with Deadpool they've become a bit braver. 

Why Him? Sets the tone form the first scene with crude, lewd, swear filled humour and never strays from that identifying it's target audience as the teen to young adults who are going to love this ride however like Ned it's the parents who might be allot harder to impress.  

By Chris Hembury