Game Night: Side-Splitting (Movie Review)

I just got home from seeing Game Night at Ambassador 14, and my face still hurts.

Quick synopsis: Jason Bateman's "Max" and Rachel McAdams' "Annie" met at a bar for game night and they were playing Trivial Pursuit. They were on opposing teams and answered a question simultaneously, sparking a romance.

Fast-forward a few years after the marriage and we find Max and Annie hosting game night at their house with a few other characters. Conversation turns to Max's competitiveness (especially with his brother), who is coming to visit from out-of-the-country. The brother always tries to out-do Max, so he plans a Game Night of all Game Nights: an abduction mystery! The group awaits the "staged" abduction when a real abduction occurs, and from that point on the script takes several turns that keep you guessing.

The cast was fantastic, the chemistry between the characters obvious; the script kept you laughing while waiting for the next twist.

Will this movie achieve the status of "Dr. Zhivago" or "Star Wars"? Probably not. Was it better than "Beach Babes from Beyond"? Yup.

Bottom line: the movie was well worth the admission price (DISCLAIMER: this is only my opinion. My opinion is mine, and it differs from yours, so use discretion). The movie had a few heart-warming, serious moments that were perfectly interrupted by a quip that brought a chuckle; it had a few action/chase scenes (not at the "Fast and Furious" level, but they were entertaining) that satisfied my action thirst; and it also had several laugh-out-loud-split-my-side-open-did-Mr.-Pibb-just-fly-out-of-my-nose parts that made me laugh so much that I was worried about offending the sticks-in-the-mud that were sitting behind us.

My thumbs (remember: these are MY thumbs) are both pointing up (your results may vary).

(Google, Youtube, Game Night)