Girls Trip (2017)

Review

122min

Genre:       Comedy

Director:    Malcolm D. Lee

Cast:         Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith…and more

Writers:     Erica Rivinoja, Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver

-Synopsis-

Four women decide to rekindle their close childhood friendship by taking a long overdue girl’s trip—and what better place to re-visit their youthful exuberance than New Orleans as they drink and party their relationship blues away, only to have some old grievances resurface and brand new one materialise in this r-rated comedy from the director or ‘Undercover Brother’ and ‘Scary Movie 5’.

After Todd Phillips so successfully resurrected the misbehaving buddies, r-rated road comedy in 2009 with his smash hit ‘The Hangover’, everyone seems to have gotten in on the action—from the girls in ‘Bridesmaids’ to the elder statesmen in ‘Last Vegas’, plus the upcoming bachelorette party romp ‘Rough Night’. Now in the true spirit of equality, the African-American ladies of the USA get their shot as director Malcolm D. Lee wrangles a cast of comedic and dramatic stars, for this story of friendships and relationships . . . plus a whole lot of unfiltered fun.

Regina Hall stars as lifestyle guru ‘Ryan Pierce’, on the brink of becoming a media superstar as the keynote speaker at a New Orleans conference when the chance to reunite with her old friends and fellow former party animals ‘Sasha’ (Queen Latifah), ‘Lisa’ (Jada Pinkett Smith) and ‘Dina’ (Tiffany Haddish) presents itself—but their quest to reclaim past glories unearths resentments which threaten old friendships and puts new ones in the spotlight, as things quickly get hilariously out of control in the ‘The Big Easy’.

‘Girls Trip’ has everything you might expect from a modern raunchy r-rated comedy and the ladies certainly aim to misbehave here, expect no shortage of dick jokes and overtly sexual humour, unapologetically strong language and a fair share of physical comedy too—all wrapped up in a narrative which takes a pop at modern culture and the way we live, while of course delivering a crystal clear and hammered home message of female empowerment, the sanctity of friendship and the importance of knowing what really matters in life.

Yet despite combining the experience of an underrepresented gender and race in mainstream cinema—to bring a slightly new perspective to the debauched bachelor party or misbehaving friends road comedy—‘Girls Trip’ ironically trips over all the tropes and clichés we’ve come to associate with them, without the clever writing or polished execution to make this collection of hit & miss comedy bits stand out, or keeping us rolling in the aisles throughout its two-hour-plus runtime.

Don’t get us wrong ‘Girls Trip’ certainly has its moments, thanks mainly to the least-known member of the principal cast but the only one with legit comedy chops Tiffany Haddish, a raw and hilarious L.A. stand-up comic who plays the wildcard of the bunch (ala Melissa McCarthy in ‘Bridesmaids’ or Zach Galifianakis in ‘The Hangover’)—elevating the comedic level of the entire film and proving responsible for virtually all the laughs in the movie as the fiercely loyal and unfiltered ‘Dina’, showcasing her brand of brash ‘ghetto-fabulous’ humour that’s familiar to fans of her film, TV and stage work.

Yet whenever Haddish isn’t on screen or the main focus, the rest of the experienced star cast can’t quite manage to make a derivative and often emotionally ill-conceived story come to life. ‘Girls Trip’ strategically and unashamedly takes elements from the comedies which inspired it like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘The Hangover’, while combining them with an often overly sentimental story of undying friendship and sisterhood in the face of adversity—but it just doesn’t work and comes off as saccharine and formulaic, with the awkward bubble having to be pierced by a quick quip or two. . . often from Haddish herself.

However thanks to some genuinely side-splitting moments and the talents of the cast, ‘Girls Trip’ has enough irreverent glee and madcap raunchy humour to gloss over the ham-fisted message and the inconsistent comedy, particularly if you’re looking for some good old fashioned unapologetically coarse humour—but  everyone involved should thank their lucky stars for the talents of Tiffany Haddish, undoubtedly the breakout star of the film and probably the only thing we’ll remember it for.

The Bottom Line…

Despite offering a new cultural perspective on the ‘group of friends on a wild weekend’ r-rated comedy, ‘Girls Trip’ is far too predictable and dependent on established tropes to make it a comedy classic, plus too comedically inconsistent and sprinkled with far too much poorly executed corny moral messaging to make it memorable. But thanks to enough wildly hilarious moments and a star-making turn from the true comedic heart of the piece Tiffany Haddish, this outrageous tale about the sanctity of sisterhood will often have you busting a gut and just about keep you on board throughout.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

The Hangover (2009)

When three friends awaken from a heavy night of revelry at their Las Vegas bachelor party, with one buddy missing and the evidence of the previous night’s carnage plastered on the hotel room walls—a mad dash across the city unfolds to piece together their rampage and find the missing groom in time for his wedding, in this modern r-rated comedy classic and career-making blockbuster from Todd Phillips.

Directed by Todd Phillips Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis among others.

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