Review: The Night Before

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Get in the Christmas Spirit.
10 years ago, Ethan's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) parents were killed right before Christmas. Since then, his childhood friends, Isaac (Seth Rogan) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) have spent Christmas Eve with him partying in New York City. Most recently, they've been trying to secure tickets to an exclusive party called the Nutcracker Ball. Although Ethan isn't ready to let go of the tradition, Isaac is about to become a father and Chris is a famous NFL player, so this will be their final Christmas together. 

I've been looking forward to this film all year, even when it was boringly dubbed "Untitled Jonathan Levine Christmas Comedy" for months. This cast is fantastic, unfortunately the movie has quite a few cliches, and not nearly as many laughs as a cast like this deserves. 

Don't get me wrong, I did laugh during this, especially at the guys' drug dealer, Mr. Green. (Michael Shannon) but I felt like it could've been funnier. The dramatic plot device that forces Ethan, Isaac and Chris to split up for a short time in the film is such a mess that it's almost distracting, but as weird as this is about to sound....Miley Cyrus comes in and saves it.

The actors were great, obviously. They always are. Anyone reading my blog knows how much I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Mackie, Rogen, and Shannon were all great as well. The film is still pretty funny, and is probably one of the better comedies out this year, I just wanted a bit more.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "I've been told I have a quiet intensity about me." - Mr. Green (Michael Shannon)

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 30, 2015 at 8:52 PM

    It definitely had room for more funny...but I still enjoyed it :)

    I laughed the most when SR was in church.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 1, 2015 at 6:51 AM

      Yes! That was great. I did laugh when Ethan gets punched by that drunk guy in the Santa costume and he's like "I teach 3rd grade, bitch! I'm shaping the youth of tomorrow!"

      Delete
  2. Candice FrederickDecember 1, 2015 at 12:28 AM

    i totally felt it could have been funnier too! i thought the guys were having more fun than the audience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 1, 2015 at 6:51 AM

      That's true. There were also scenes in the trailers that weren't in the film. I felt like they cut a lot of stuff.

      Delete
  3. m.brownDecember 1, 2015 at 11:28 AM

    I totally agree. I left the theater smiling, but there were a surprising amount of gaps in the laughs. That said, still very funny (the bar is so high, though).

    Glad you got to catch it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 1, 2015 at 11:29 AM

      I am too. :) All I did yesterday was stay at the theater. lol

      I needed alone time.

      Delete
  4. UnknownDecember 1, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    I still need to see this! Someone tells me that nothing will live up to This is the End.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 1, 2015 at 10:20 PM

      It's definitely not as funny as This Is the End. That one still wins.

      Delete
  5. UnknownDecember 3, 2015 at 8:58 AM

    I'm really glad you enjoyed this, I'm looking forward to seeing it soon. I'm definitely not expecting it to beat This is the End, but at least I know it'll be good :)
    - Allie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 4, 2015 at 1:12 PM

      Thanks! This is the End is at the top end of comedy lol. It's hard to compare.

      Delete
  6. s.December 4, 2015 at 12:22 PM

    I'm dying to see this, does Shannon have a lot of screen time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamDecember 4, 2015 at 1:12 PM

      Not a whole lot, but he makes every second of it count. He has about 4 scenes, about as much as Lizzie Caplain and Mindy Kaling have.

      Delete
  7. JoshFebruary 3, 2016 at 5:29 AM

    I couldn't quite drag myself to the theater for this, but I'll probably check it out on DVD. Love the cast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 3, 2016 at 6:46 AM

      It's more of a DVD movie than a theater movie anyways. But it's JGL, so I will go to anything in theaters for him. lol

      Delete
  8. Have you viewed Alaskan Brown Bear HuntsMay 7, 2017 at 9:04 PM

    So hilariously inappropriate and yet one of our favorite movies of all time. We watch it at least once a month. Good for
    A laugh no matter what. Seth Rogen is a hoot.

    ReplyDelete

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