The Lovebirds

The longer any kind of genre lasts over time, the more of a challenge it faces it maintaining an entertainment value with casting choices, writing that matches what it's aiming for, etc. Among the more difficult ones that fit this bill would be adult comedy as the formula is recognizable to the point where it needs a spicy kick from the lead actors, jokes that punch well, and just a fun time that doesn't feel like its holding the audience hostage. This brings us to a new entry that takes on the classic "couple with relationship issues finding themselves into a wild night of shenanigans", The Lovebirds. With the marketing campaign focusing on the dynamic of rising comedic stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani (both actors having been active around mid-late 2010s), this movie was originally slated for a theatrical release but due to the COVID-19 pandemic currently ongoing (at the time of this review), Netflix secured the rights from Paramount Pictures for a digital debut instead. I remember seeing the trailer quite a bit in previews in the months before the current state of affairs but was still curious about it. I checked it out late May when it released hoping for some levity during the harsh times and ended up liking it fine but felt underwhelmed.

What's it about? The story follows couple undergoing relationship issue who go on the run after witnessing a murder. There are a few things that do help out with this wacky adventure of there that deserve some kudos. The writing does allow a few moments of logic to be mentioned regarding decisions made (such as why they ran from the scene of the crime). The low budget with the comedy means it doesn't go that wild with any of the antics involved as other bigger films do. The short runtime allows some relief in that the plot is focused in doing what it needs to do with its characters before moving onto the next aspect.

There are noticeable problems that hold it back from feeling like a modern classic and more towards forgettable rental territory. The bantering dialogue between the bickering couple can drag on too much where the writing could have been trimmed down. The section of the plot that deals with the murderers agenda is very rushed in the third act with the outcome being stale. The impact of the humor is going to depend on how much of the marketing you have been exposed to (as it affected my viewing experience a bit since I have seen some of those jokes in the trailers a lot) but thankfully plenty of jokes weren't ruined by it.

How are the actors? In regards to story importance, the actors to focus on are Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. With the hard to ignore issues preventing this adventure from standing out, thankfully this lead pair is definitely good enough to help elevate the material to something quick and likable enough for a short runtime. The chemistry between Kumail and Issa works well with the familiar dynamic seen a lot (couple trying to work through their differences). Dishonorable mention goes to Paul Sparks for appearing to look like he was underacting (though to be fair his material is pretty limited).

Overall Consensus: The Lovebirds is a slightly underwhelming humorous adventure that's bolstered by the leading actors chemistry, short runtime, and ignorance of gross out gags but falters due to hit or miss humor and rushed writing. ⭑⭑⭑* Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes R
*: If the coronavirus pandemic wasn't happening at this time and this film hit the big screen like it was initially planned for, the viewing recommendation I would have given it is 💻.

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or director Michael Showalter. You are looking for goofy low budget feature to not take that seriously. You are in the mood for any kind of funny flick to help destress.

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or director Michael Showalter. You dislike goofy low budget features or any kind of adult comedy that feels kinda stale at parts. You can get annoyed easily from arguments between movie couples.