Game Night Thrives Off The Cleverness Of It's Plot And The Talent Of It's Main Cast In Delivering Solid Laughs With Surprising Twists

                

       When it comes to popular Hollywood genres, one of the most successful ones that often work well in regards to execution and prove to be a solid financial success are action comedies. Action comedies generally follow a specific formula that makes them successful, although there's special occasions where the films attempt to go their own way in regards to being both successful as well as entertaining their audience. With Game Night, the film plays out as being a fun-spirited and goofy action comedy that feels similar in style to 2010's Date Night with Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, except the overall execution of Game Night is better all around. This time, comedy superstar Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams headline the main lead roles for Game Night with the film being boasted by the appeal of its main cast, as well as its sharp script and clever mix of dark humor and satire. Game Night is an action comedy that doesn't feel extraordinary nor groundbreaking in any sense, but takes what's​ essentially become a formulaic genre and add its own style of fun to it, along with unexpected twists and turns with the end result being a surprisingly fun and entertaining experience if one doesn't take it too seriously. 

      The plot for Game Night centers around a  fun and energetic group of friends deciding to switch up their typical game night ritual to a mock-kidnapping with the idea being that the first participant to find the fake victim wins the game. Thinking it to be just a game at first, the group slowly discovers that the scenario they set up may be real with their lives ultimately being at stake. On paper, the plot for Game Night sounds promising and adds a fresh twist on the action-comedy aspect of its story. The film feels like a goofy version of David Fincher's The Game, which starred Michael Douglas with both plot setup's being surprisingly similar. It helps that the audience cares about the main characters as they're fairly fleshed out for them to connect with along with Bateman and McAdams delivering solid chemistry together, ultimately making their characters likable. The film also carries side characters who often steal the show with their key moments of humor, further adding to both the silliness and energy of the plot. Game Night is a slick and refreshing comedy, that serves as being a welcomed detour for audiences with the film delivering a clever yet wild experience that's full of surprising plot twists, explosive action, and humor that comes across as being both satirical and risque with most jokes landing rather than falling flat. While the films humor and silliness of its plot can feel a bit forced at times, there's enough here for audiences to enjoy as well as admire about the films convictions to be a surprisingly fun flick rather than being another typical and generic action-comedy, that's devoid of any creativity or soul. It's the fun-spirited nature and cleverness of the plot that make Game Night as effective as it ultimately comes across in comedic terms.

       As fun and thrilling as Game Night's plot turns out to be, it's ultimately the hilarious and convincing performances of its main cast that makes it work as well as it does. Both Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams deliver charming and energetic performances as Max and Annie with them adding to the excitement of the plot, along with them sharing strong chemistry together. They convincingly play a loving and fun-spirited couple, that audiences would undoubtedly want to have around as friends for a game night. Kyle Chandler does well as Max's older, wealthier, yet unreliable brother Brooks with him often stealing the show with his moments of hilarity, classic sibling rivalry, and heartfelt messages to Max regarding his failure to be a reliable brother. Billy Magnussen and Sarah Morgan both shine as Ryan and his co-worker/love interest Sarah with them ultimately making the most of their side roles along with being appealing characters. Other fun and noteworthy performances are Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury as Max and Annie's friends Kevin and Michelle with them having some solidly funny moments as a couple throughout the film. The rest of the supporting cast turns in strong work with appealing and juicy roles such as Jesse Plemons as Max and Annie's weird and eccentric neighbor Max, a cop who has been desiring to be invited over for game night with him ultimately feeling left out of the group. Danny Huston is effective as the films crime boss and main antagonist Anderton with Jeffrey Wright also impressing in a surprise yet uncredited role as an FBI agent. Michael C. Hall is effective as a scary and intimidating criminal known as The Bulgarian with Chelsea Perettias Glenda, and Camille Chen doing well as Max and Annie's doctor Chin. Overall, the cast of Game Night do a fantastic job of making their characters fun to watch as well as being likable and realistic regardless of how silly some of them come across. The chemistry that the ensemble cast carries feels natural and solid with both Bateman and McAdams making a solid film couple. The film ultimately wouldn't be as much fun and exciting if it wasn't for the effort its main cast put on the screen, along with the fun energy and clear enthusiasm they have for the story. There isn't one actor or actress shown in the film who doesn't look as if they're getting a kick out of the concept, which is essential to the film ultimately connecting with its target audience.

      In addition to the films strong performances, the directing by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein proves to be effective in keeping the story grounded in reality while never letting the film take itself too seriously. The pair do a solid job of balancing out the films mature moments with its goofy nature without both coming across as feeling messy. The action sequences are well-staged with them also carrying both a humerous and silly nature given the inexperience the films main couple have in regards to fighting criminals and handling weapons. The films production qualities such its cinematography and set decoration, are both standard with the film being well-shot for a typical action-comedy flick along with the sets representing both a suburban neighborhood, which serves as a safety net for the main characters before reverting to locations which represent the criminal underworld that's exposed over the course of the game such as bars, warehouses, basements, clubs, etc. The films soundtrack is effective in adding to the fun-spirited nature of the plot. On a directing front, both filmmakers don't break any new ground here in regards to filmmaking but do well enough in giving the story an economic atmosphere and tone, that feels both comedic with an ounce of mystery and suspense added to the proceedings without the latter overshadowing the rest of the film. They manage to give their actors plenty of room to reign free with their roles and create an atmosphere, that makes the whole film feel like one giant game itself with the audience left guessing what's real and what isn't in a clear homage to David Fincher's 1997 cult classic The Game.

      The films writing by Mark Perez is solid with the story being well-rounded and creative. The humor presented serves as a combination of being risque mixed with slapstick comedy and clever pop culture references, that mention numerous movies and celebrities. The character development is handled reasonably well with each member of the main supporting cast getting their respective moments to shine in regards to delivering generally humerous bits throughout the story. It also helps that the chemistry with the main cast is spot on with the audience becoming attached to Max and Annie's group of friends playing game night. The relationship between Max and Annie's is well-developed with the conflict over them wanting kids with Annie being for it, but Max ultimately being hesitant coming across as feeling believable. The writer does a good job of establishing their relationship with the films opening sequence, along with making the audience care about their characters. The film also does well with both developing and fleshing out the competitveness and sibling rivalry between Max and his brother Brooks in another nod to David Fincher's The Game. In terms of the films humor being effective, not all of the jokes land the way they were meant to with some occasionally falling flat but most prove to be genuinely funny. The dialogue serves as being both clever and witty with movie buffs and those familiar with pop culture (Max and Annie state in the film that they're film buffs and throw out references to Pulp Fiction, etc), catching the references being thrown at them. Another element that helps​ makes the script work are the hilarious scenarios, that the main characters find themselves getting into (Annie and Max reenacting the diner scene from Pulp Fiction, Annie believing the scenario to be fake and accidentally shooting Max in the shoulder) which add much goofiness to the plot in regards to them not knowing which part of their scenario is a game and what's real. As good as the script for Game Night works in regards to being both exciting as well as making it's audience laugh, it sometimes feels as if it desires to be more twisty and surprising than what's actually required from it with the filmmakers continuously insisting that one scene is a setup for the game before pulling the rug from underneath the audience once again. Despite this minor critique, the script for Game Night works well and deserves commending for attempting to take the action and comedy genre in a different direction than what's usually thrown at audiences these days. The end result is a screenplay that's cleverly written and contains both witty and satirical humor with the film referencing Michael Douglas The Game in an ironic fashion given  how its concept is modeled after that film.

      While no one will be particularly blown away by Game Night as a groundbreaking piece of filmmaking, they're certain to find tons of laughter and enjoyment from the films characters and plot. The film aims to take audiences on a wild ride for the films brisk and rapid 119 minute running time with the end result being that it succeeds at doing so. There's enough charm presented between the main ensemble cast in regards to chemistry along with characters that are both appealing and likable, that audiences will find it difficult to not be entertained by the scenario presented. Whereas the original game night shown in the film prior to its plot taking off didn't seem very interesting outside of the main characters enjoying it, the actual one that involves life or death scenarios for those involved is far more exciting with the film itself ultimately feeling like one long and twisty game scenario. Game Night is smart, funny, charming, heartfelt, exciting, and surprising in how it dares to exceed the expectations that audiences had for it prior to watching it with them ultimately finishing it with a smile on their face. The film aims to be both slick as well as different with it earning its stripes at being such. This is an example of what audiences get when they have talented filmmakers who come up with a solid premise, that allows both the leads as well as the rest of the cast to turn loose in terms of executing it. The film provides great fun while showing how relationships between friends, family, and loved ones can ultimately be strengthened through crazy scenarios such as the one presented with the message demonstrating how sibling rivalry can ultimately lead to dangerous developments.

Final Verdict: For both action and comedy fans, Game Night is a must watch with it packing solid laughs, action, and surprising amounts of heart.