User reviews

Too many serious critics so it seems.

After a long week at work if you want a feel good film watch this with a bottle of wine. kind of old school but with a lot of heart. Decent cast. Some good chemistry. And some twists along the way. Very heart warming...Not an oscar winner but a weekend feel good film!

Ready for another mainstream comedy that many critics seem to abhor but yours quite enjoyed, if only because of his undying affinity for its leads?

Well, here it comes, Owen Wilson and Ed Helms offering their on-screen usual - a jovial freespirited guy vs. stuck-up and rigid but successful in life type - based on which they have managed to build quite long and successful screen careers, at least judging by the number of movies released.

And on their journey together, they will meet, of course, a motley bunch of colorful characters played by Glenn Close, J.K. Simmons, Katt Williams, ex-NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken et al.

So far, so formulaic, I know. But guess what. Although the two leading men really do their usual schtick, and the approach is the usual too, "Father Figure" actually works.

I may not be that big on sugarcoated finale, but this may be this one rare instance of unasked, unneeded mainstream comedy where critics are actually wrong and have underestimated the project just because how generic it looks on the face of it.

You see, "Father Figures" may be a generic and mainstream by form factor, but there's something better beating at its heart.

Looking bad, I can't call it inventive or LOL-filled, exactly, but at least the makers have hit the bullseye at what they were aiming for.

Which means screwball comedy for the 2017's crowd: two chatty guys having an adventure together, meeting a bunch of interesting people on the way. Without an inner pressure to produce laughs but to involve the viewer in their lives.

And most of the events and people did feel more interesting than usual in this (sub)genre because of the surprisingly character-based approach where most everybody gets room to breathe and introduce one's natural charm to the audience, which is a huge win for the movie as a whole.

And the cast really has a huge amount of charm to spare, especially Bradshaw whose performance is so natural and enjoyable that I hardly believed this man is a retired sportsman who has only done a limited number of small movie roles.

All in all, looks like everybody had fun and also believed in the material. I only did not care about the rather soulless section with Christopher Walken - but it's short and you can't always get everything, can you?

By the way, this is the directing debut of one Lawrence Sher, a long-time comedy cinematographer who filled that job also in "The Hangover" trilogy (starring Ed Helms).

I am afraid to check how many times I have used the words "mainstream", "generic" and "the usual" in this review - this doesn't bode well for the movie, surely - but it's actually not bad.

Yes, there are many better comedies out there, but "Father Figures" may have just enough charm and heart to win you over for a 113 minute joyride.

No idea why this movie is getting such low ratings from some? Maybe because its a unique way of telling a story? Anyway I enjoyed this little gem, i didn't walk out of the theatre with a new six pack from belly howling, but i was entertained the whole way through.

Sometimes its best to watch for yourself and make your own mind up and give the reviews a back seat

Ignore the bad reviews. Saw this today with my (picky) son and we both liked it. OK It's not gonna win any super awards, but It's funny and quirky and it stands on its own.

I've never been a massive Owen Wilson fan, but here he shows his big brother side and is actually pretty good. Yes ok It's the typical Wilson role, but he brings a little extra to his character that he doesn't usually emote in most of his movies. Ed Helms nails it and is as funny as always. I don't understand the hate surrounding Ed, he's a really funny guy and a talented actor. They both play off each other brilliantly in this movie and I would pay to see more of their comedy pairing. Add in the brilliant Glenn Close, the awesome Christopher Walken, the kickass Ving Rhames and other great cameos and you've got yourself a decent comedy that's worth the £8 at the cinema.

Give it a chance, I reckon you might enjoy it.

And as always, NEVER go and watch a movie with any expectations. That way you will enjoy it more :)

Let's face it, the critics are rarely right and this is just another example of that. Not a bad story but it was made even better by Wilson and Helm's play on each other. I laughed numerous times and reslly felt invested in the story. I wasn't expecting the ending which always makes a movie better for me. I enjoyed it very much so and I will definitely remember it. Forget the movie snob critics. They suck anyway.

I'm pretty sure this is advertised as a comedy but that's not what it is. What is it? Not sure but Owen Wilson and Ed Helms are twins that have to find their dad because their mom lied about who he is. Decent premise. That's about as good as it gets. I like both actors so I probably gave it a better rating than it deserved. I'm not sure I laughed one time.

'Father Figures' is no great movie. But it isn't a bad movie either. At least not as bad as the critics called it. Its, at its very core, a very watchable comedy, that, believe it or not, has got a heart too.

'Father Figures' Synopsis: Upon learning that their mother has been lying to them for years about their allegedly deceased father, two fraternal twin brothers hit the road in order to find him.

'Father Figures' is a tale of two brothers, who go on a journey to find their real dad, but end up exploring each other more than they could've imagined. And this story, though monotonous after a point, has some funny jokes that land & the banter between its brothers, has moments that evoke mirth & some genuine emotion too. I found myself emotionally connected in the film's concluding moments, which I least expected too. Having said that, there is no denying that 'Father Figures' gets repetitive & even some of its jokes don't land. Also, the length could've been trimmed by 10-15 minutes.

Justin Malen's Screenplay is a mixed bag, but there are some nice things here, that leave a mark. Lawrence Sher's Direction is adequate. Cinematography is satisfactory. Editing could've been tighter. Art & Costume Design are standard.

Performance-Wise: Owen Wilson & Ed Helms are extremely likable. Both of the terrific actors add a lot to their roles and excel in the comedic and emotional bits. The Legendary Glenn Close appears in a cameo as the mother of the boys and as usual, lends grace to the part. Among the dads, Terry Bradshaw is fun to watch, J. K. Simmons is okay & The Great Christopher Walken gets barely anything to do. Ving Rhames & Katt Williams are funny.

On the whole, 'Father Figures' is an entirely watchable comedy, that has its pros and cons. Not a bad Sunday noon watch!

Somewhat aimless but mildly entertaining. Forced road movie plot & some stiff, predictable acting-situations. Bad soundtrack.

Father Figures brings nothing new or innovative to the table, but it follows the formula well and delivers a perfectly fine movie. Ed Helms and Owen Wilson star as twin brothers who discover that their father, whom they were told died before they could know him, isn't actually their father. Their mother, played by Glenn Close, isn't sure who their father is, but is pretty sure it's Terry Bradshaw. They then embark on a traditional road comedy as they go to meet him and continually get clues as to who their father is moving them along. The meet an interesting cast of characters and learn about themselves along the way before realizing that the most important thing is that they have each other.

There is no stand out performer who consistently elicits laughs, but it keeps chugging along with decent jokes enough to prevent it from dragging. They avoid overusing any of the jokes and there weren't any points where I was just waiting for the scene to end. This isn't going to be a classic or something that you want to watch over and over, but there are a lot worse ways to kill 2 hours.

LIKES:

-Consistent Pace

-The Ending

-Katt Williams

DISLIKES:

-Predictable

-Lazy Writing

-Ruined by Trailers

-Not using Glenn Close More

Summary: Father Figures is a simplistic comedy, designed to provide some low to medium laughs to get you through the holiday season. While cute at some parts, the movie is a paternal scavenger hunt with predictable plot twists that are only relieved by a well-done ending that has the emotional zest. My favorite components of Katt Williams, Christopher Walken and Glenn Close are underutilized and their unique comedy is lost to the lazy use of curse heavy dialogue. Even worse, the movie suffers from becoming stale due to over use of trailers with approximately 50% of the comedy ruined with the use of the first trailer. Ironically the only surprises from the trailers are scene deletions and de-censoring the lines to be a little more adult. Father Figures is good for a quick laugh, but your money is best spent on another selection of the cavalcade of movies to release this holiday season.

My scores are:

Comedy: 5.0 Movie Overall: 4.0

Chose this as the best of a supposedly bad lot when I had a free rental. Went into it expecting to give up after ten minutes.

Just finished it and really enjoyed it. Obviously there are twists and turns which aren't too hard to see coming, but it had moments of real emotional heft. It was also pretty funny. Nice just to see two good actors making a decent film.

For the first 30-40 minutes it felt like a silly, pointless film. But it really picked up and became a funny feel good movie. I rented this from Redbox and it was definitely worth the rental

Yet again Owen Wilson plays the same character - honestly if I hear him going on about the universe again I'll scream. This film is described as a comedy but I didn't hear much laughter if any. Flimsy plot and an ending which gave the impression that the writers had run out of ideas.

Now the minute i saw the trailer where Peter Reynolds acting his usual role of being that uptight guy with his always nervous simple comedy and Owen Wilson again that role of chill hippy relaxed guy i was like ,, Oh , it's one of those things again,,

But man!! after i watched it it really has an amazing new genuine plot that is connected with a will netted screenplay ,, and a shocking,well maybe not shocking but unexpected heartwarming ending.

The cast rose to the occasion and comedy was well distributed all along the 90 minutes ,, and with some action it all looked spotless.

final thought, watch it because it is more than a mediocre comedy,

This is the most idiotic movie these actors have ever made. I can't even believe the morons leaving this movie a good review. Don't waste 2 hours of your life.

Wow lots of haters on this film. Not sure what everyone expects going into a heart-warming adventure comedy with an all star cast that had the chemistry and performed quite well. Good story that was fun and well directed. The screenplay certainly had some plot issues that should have been edited, but nevertheless, still entertaining. A well deserved 7/10 from me

This is one of the most boring, poorly written and executed movies I've ever seen. The plot, the dialog and the jokes are lame, and the acting is horrible. I'm shocked that Glenn Close is in it.

An excellent feel-good movie, What does a feel-good movie do? What this movie does. Why should it do anything else? Laid back pace, laid back humor, laid back results with a full heart and glad smile.

Great cast, big fan of Owen Wilson & Ed Helms, completely wasted. It was absolutely . . . TERRIBLE! Don't waste your time or money! Very few laughs. Incredibly inane story line. I haven't seen a movie this bad since . . . I'm going to have to go with Will Ferrell in "Land of the Lost".

Its a comedy, so nothing serious. I didn't even have intentions on watching this in the theater. I went to see the new Star Wars but the theater had issues playing the movie. They offered us a refund, but my girlfriend and I still wanted to see a movie so we stayed and watched this. Neither of us knew what to expect, so we were skeptical, but as the movie went on we had a good time with it. If you like Owen Wilson movies then you will like this movie. I don't really understand all the hate, I follow a lot of movies so I had to get on her to give it some credit.

I thought it was fun. It didn't set the world alight but it was decent

When I saw the awful Photoshop disaster poster I had a bad feeling about this movie, but nothing prepared me for the disappointment it brought upon me. The premise is simple: two brothers, played by Ed Helms and Oven Wilson go on a road trip to find their real father. Both characters are exactly who you would expect, Ed Helms is of course the usual neurotic, loser type of character while Owen Wilson plays the spiritual, happy go lucky weirdo. What you would also expect from a movie like this are jokes, but they seem to have forgotten to write them, and the ones that are there are so crude that they feel completely out of place in a movie like this. There are also a few what the hell moments when I guess the actors improvised and they thought it was funny and they left it in the movie for some reason (probably to extend the runtime), but it doesn't really work. There's also a lot of pointless rambling, probably for the exact same reason. Overall we weren't able to finish the movie, and it is getting really annoying to see this long line of failed comedies these days. It's always the same thing, there's a decent setup and likeable actors so you get excited and invested at first, but the flick totally loses you to boredom after a while.

Very good! loved it. Felt identified. The way that the trip becomes a journey into them selfs and into their loved ones.