Baby Mama - round 2

[Monge]

This is coming out on video on Sept. 9th and it was in the 'Things to look forward to in September' thread. I didn't get a chance to see it when it came out but I saw a screener tonight and I'd be interested in hearing opinions of those who saw it originally and those who are seeing it on video (or re-watching it).

As I recall, I think there were a lot of lukewarm reactions to it when it was in theaters. I would say I thought it was amusing, but not funny. I never really got bored but I didn't really laugh either, I was just mildly entertained. I'm a big fan of a lot of the cast but nothing ever seemed to be as funny as it could've been.

Any opinions from anyone else? Were people incredibly disappointed or very happy or completely blase? Has anyone watched multiple times and felt it's become better with repeat viewings? Because of my Tina Fey respect I feel like I should give it another chance but the idea of watching it again just makes me want to lie down for a second and rest my eyes. Not because I'm tired, I just need to..............................fdsajlkkkkkkkkkkkk k

[isoS]

I loved it. Thought Fey and Poehler were great, and Steve Martin was funnier than he's been in years - every scene with him made me laugh. It isn't a great movie, but I thought it was a very funny and entertaining movie that had its heart in the right place.

[Babs]

For a second I was horrified that they were making a sequel to this movie.
Tina and Amy are my idols, through and through. But yeah this thing stunk to high heaven. If Tina had written it I have the feeling it would have been about ten kajillion times better. I will watch anything they are in, really, and I am so happy that it did as well as it did when it came out but yeah the storyline was pretty unbearable.

[scamboogah]

I liked it. Thought Steve Martin was great. Totally worth a rent.

[BillBrasky]

This is really weird. I'm trying to write a reply in this thread but every time I try to send it I get an error message that says "Access denied due to security policy violation". I've never gotten this message before.
Yet when I send this post it goes through. I can't figure out why my other reply doesn't work.

[Darryl]

I wanted to see it in the theater, but never got to it. I'll grab it from the Red Box when it comes out, though. It's hard to tell with mixed reviews, especially with a comedy. So much depends on what mood I'm in I guess.

[darrylduffy]

i actually really really liked it. i didn't know that tina didn't write it. maybe that was due to a lot of improv/chemistry between her and amy cause i thought it was hilarious. and i thought it was one of the best written this-style-of-movie in a long time. the only thing i didn't like was the ending but we can talk about that and why later.

[aenemaTron]

I used to get so annoyed when these two hosted Weekend Update, how they kept tagging jokes and muttering and giggling. Is there a special director's cut by someone who also feels that way?

[isoS]

i actually really really liked it. i didn't know that tina didn't write it. maybe that was due to a lot of improv/chemistry between her and amy cause i thought it was hilarious. and i thought it was one of the best written this-style-of-movie in a long time. the only thing i didn't like was the ending but we can talk about that and why later.

Mike McCullers wrote it, but Tina punched up the script. It has a lot of her humor in it, for sure. (But the tone is way less screwball than 30 Rock.)

[matt in the east]

i had a feeling that tina fey didn't write the entire movie. aside for steve martin and a few dax shephard scenes, i didn't like it so much. it was a little too cutesy and boring. most of the characters, especially greg kinnear's, are really bleh. bleh i say.

[NFox]

The only scene I really laughed at had to be the one in which Steve Martin rewards Tina with 5 minutes of uninterrupted eye contact. Although he was only in it for a small handful of scenes and had even fewer lines, Kevin Collins' (IMBD lists him as "Architect/Rick") awkward exit in that scene has to be one of the funniest things in the entire movie.

I hope they make an entire movie of him with various awkward exits...maybe even some entrances. I would leave that movie on a continuous loop in my room.

-Nick

[ericluxury]

The movie wasn't aiming for constant laughter so judging it by laughs per minute isn't really fair. It was a movie that aiming to be a cute and amusing date movie that has some laughs. On those terms, I'd say it was very successful. Tina Fey and Greg Kinnear are very charming and Amy Poehler and Steve Martin were funny. It's no must-see movie but it was much better than it seemed like it was going to be based on the trailer.

The only thing that I didn't like was how Amy Poehler's manners and education-level varied so wildly. Within seconds she'd go from normal to a female Ronnie Dobbs. I found her funny when she was Ronnie-ish but the sudden changes, especially at the end of the movie, felt like punchlines shoved into the movie. I like punchlines as much as anyone, but when the characters are supposed to have changedm, why go back to well. Thats a small point though. I'd recommend it.

[man124]

I really like the movie, although I hated Dak Shepherd in it, as I do in most things. (Although to be honest, this probably has more to do with the fact that he is dating Kristen Bell.) However, agree that Steve Martin was great in it, as where Tina and Amy. I did kinda feel the story would have worked better if it had gone a different direction, although that might be because I didn't really see the first twist coming.

[megalope]

I sobbed in the theater when I saw it. Very touching. (I also might have been really emotional that day.)

ps. 30 rox!

[jon]

I just watched this last night. Does anyone want to know what I thought of it?

[Tim.Shell]

I recall that the overall criticism of the movie was that it had an opportunity but failed to really explore the differences in attitude of the various classes in America toward having and raising children. Instead, it opted for easier, less challenging slapstick and melodrama.

Maybe it's a valid criticism, but movie makers always have to decide how to play something that will both be intellectually satisfying but also make money at the box office. So, yes, I would like to see a bright comedy that would really juxtapose the yuppie "baby as expensive property" notion with the lower-class notion of "kids as a duty."

But only if it was funny. And I learned long ago that I'm not part of the target market. So I don't blame anybody for not trying to tailor a movie to sell to me and the small number of my kind.

[mike]

Has there been a comedy that really made you think?

[Gene George]

Has there been a comedy that really made you think?

Anchorman made me think I hate the 70's slightly less.

[Tim.Shell]

Has there been a comedy that really made you think?

Sure. "When Harry Met Sally" actually made me think a lot about the complexity of friendship and romantic relationships. And it kicked ass at the box office.

[mike]

With comedy I meant a funny movie.