Why Him? (15)
two stars
Dir: John Hamburg
With: James Franco, Bryan Cranston
Runtime: 111 minutes
AS if to prove there is no idea that Hollywood will not flog to death, along comes this meet-the-daughter’s-boyfriend comedy, helmed by John Hamburg, the writer of Meet the Fockers, with Ben Stiller a producer. You will know what to expect, then, when a midwestern family of straights (led by Bryan Cranston as the dad) arrives in Silicon Valley at Christmas to meet the tech zillionaire (James Franco) who wants to join the gang. What you might not be expecting is the crassness of the humour as Why Him? attempts to outdo the last shock and aw-shucks comedy that came off the production line. James Franco in comedy mode is an acquired taste at the best of times, and this whole trip leaves a unpleasant taste behind.
Monster Trucks (PG)
three stars
Dir: Chris Wedge
With: Lucas Till, Jane Levy
Runtime: 105 minutes
HERE’S the deal, kids. Here be monsters, and here be giant trucks with roaring engines that go very fast and jump over stuff. Sound good? And it is, with Chris Wedge’s adventure landing just the right side of daft. Lucas Till is the loner teenager who finds a pal in a stranded, Nessie-type creature dug up from the deep by greedy mining boss Rob Lowe, and discovers love along the way besides. Action-packed and big-hearted, a safe Christmas family outing movie pick.
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