“Saturday Night Live” comes to the big screen in “Sisters” with alumni Tina Fey and Amy Poehler co-starring in a raucous comedy about two sisters who are shocked to find out that their parents are selling their childhood home. They return to their Florida hometown to spend a few last nights in the house before the new owners move in, and there’s no better way to say goodbye to their childhood abode than to throw an over-the-top party for all of their former high school friends.
“Sisters” is the female version of those anything-goes, crazy-one-night male movies such as “The Hangover” and “The Night Before.” And like those movies, “Sisters” is silly. And silly is not the same as funny. It’s very easy to produce films with crude behavior and massive property damage to get a few laughs. True comedy is a craft of dialogue and timing, and it’s lacking here.
While there were some amusing moments—like when the sisters drop in at their parents’ new condo only to find mom and dad in the middle of some sexual role play—truly funny scenes are few and far between.
Maya Rudolph is a bright spot, playing an intentionally uninvited classmate who acts as if she doesn’t care that she was snubbed, only to repeatedly try to sneak into the party. Ultimately, “Sisters” is a film you should rent. It has its moments, but there’s no need to go through the time and expense to see it at the theater.
As to cast diversity, it scores a B. While there are a range of Black, Hispanic, and Asian characters, it’s not quite enough for a film set in highly diverse Florida.
“Sisters” is rated R for language, sexual content and drug use. It’s just short of two hours in length. It gets a “Rent It” rating.