“Snatched” must have been a fun vacation in Hawaii for Amy Schumer and the rest of the cast, because this shouldn’t be called a movie. Sure, images appear on screen, in an order that suggest a progression of events. But there’s no purpose or passion in them.
This is supposed to be a film about a mother and daughter reconnecting and growing stronger together, because of a trying experience. The message the movie thinks it conveys is, “don’t judge people too quickly. Let them rise to the occasion.” But the film doesn’t and neither do its characters. It all comes off like a used car lot. There’s plenty of set dressing and spit shining, but the film can’t hide the fact that its selling a tired, faulty product.
It relies on stereotypes for comedy. Isn’t it funny that Amy Schumer’s character, Emily, is a vapid, rotten person? Isn’t it funny that Goldie Hawn’s Linda is a crazy shut-in? Isn’t funny that Ike Barinholtz’s Jeffery is an annoying waste of space?
No, it isn’t. Rather than shape its stereotypes to create some potent comedy and commentary, the film just presents them as creatures to be mocked.
Good comedy is littered with terrible, sad people, from Archie Bunker to Archer. But it’s not enough to have them just be terrible. They must be relatable. Whether we love them or hate them is different for different movies, but we have to at least feel for them.
Every time there might be a moment of genuine growth and human connection in “Snatched,” the intimacy of that moment is shattered by a snide comment. It’s as if the film knows how poorly written its characters are and is actively working to hide them from us. This is the most insulting part of the movie, far beyond the inconsequential plot and the lack of depth in the performances.
“Snatched” cares nothing for its characters or its story or the message it wishes to leave us with. It merely expects us to love its gutter scraps.
