Life Of the Party Review
Life of the Party embodies a lot of what we’ve come to expect from when Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy team up. Besides being married off screen, the two have had a big presence in Hollywood lately, churning out several big budget releases. While there seems to be no stop to this powerhouse comedy duo, their films always fall flat, full of dumb, over the top humor.
Although Life of the Party suffers from a lot of these same issues, there’s also a lot more to grasp at than their other movies (Tammy and The Boss). It has some insanely stupid moments and yet manages to squeeze in enough well-thought-out fun to make it bearable.
That’s because at the center of it, is a very heartfelt mother/daughter relationship. McCarthy plays Deanna, a recently divorced middle aged woman who decides to go back and finish her last year of college. Problem is, it’s the same exact school where her daughter, Maddie, is finishing up her senior year. To Maddie’s chagrin, Deanna completely embraces the college experience: crashing frat parties, sleeping around, and even becoming a regular visitor of her daughter’s sorority.
Regardless of all the added trouble, Maddie still loves her mom and that really shines through. While Deanna doesn’t have much regard for her daughter’s personal space, she comes off as extremely vulnerable and that makes you root for her. Her ex-husband treats her terribly and all she wants is to earn the degree she couldn’t afford as a pregnant teenager. In spite of her boisterous personality, we also see how self-conscious she is, feeling somewhat out of place in her environment. Maddie may find her mother’s actions annoying at times, but at the end of the day, she can always count on her. The movie conveys the love between the two. It’s nothing too deep but there’s enough there to give the film some substance.
There are also some good jokes to be had throughout. The humor often feels topical and relatable. That said, the humor also often feels excessive. A lot of it is extremely dull and starts to feel tiresome. Aside from that, there’s an unnecessary cameo that ruins the end and feels like nothing more than a cash grab.
Life of the Party isn’t very original or particularly memorable. However, it’s a lot better than what we’ve come to expect from the team behind it. There’s enough fun to be had that makes it a good way to spend a Saturday night.
