2.5/4

Why Him? [2016] ★★½

 why_him_xlgYou don’t walk in to see a movie called “Why Him?” with high expectations, which is why I’m about to cut this movie some slack. It’s crude and unashamedly nasty, but it made me chuckle, and that’s why I can’t completely dismiss it. Bryan Cranston is the last person I expected to see here, playing a father whose daughter has fallen for a socially awkward billionaire, played by James Franco. There’s only one problem: father is overprotective and doesn’t exactly warm up to him, hence the title “Why Him?”. Cranston and Franco couldn’t be more fun to watch together. I know that this is a one joke movie. I also know that it eventually runs out of steam after the hour mark. But until then, it has some really funny moments. After so many disappointing comedies in 2016 (I still can’t get over how bad “Mike and Dave” and “Neighbors 2” were), it’s nice to encounter a movie that delivers on its promise. And “Why Him?” is exactly that: an enjoyable comedy.

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