Review: Snatched

The last few years have been quite the ride for ribald funny lady Amy Schumer. After seemingly emerging “out of nowhere” with her (quite rightly) critically acclaimed sketch show Inside Amy Schumer she then became the darling of the mainstream with the fun, flawed and aptly named movie Trainwreck. What goes up, must of course come down though, and she recently suffered a bit of a backlash for her rather brainless and mirth-free Netflix stand up show The Leather Special sending her status from hero to zero in no time.

Schumer's latest vehicle Snatched sees her attempt to worm her way back into the hearts of the masses once more by indulging our current love for all things 1980s and making a movie that recalls the screw-ball, nonsensical comedies of old. Hell, she's even convinced the immensely watchable Goldie Hawn out of semi-retirement for a tale that doffs its caps to the likes of Overboard and Private Benjamin.

The plot, while admittedly thread-bare, succeeds in its most important role – to deliver laughs by the bucket-load. Telling the story of a mother and daughter who end up kidnapped while on holiday and ultimately end up on the adventure of their lives, Snatched is a fun throwback to Ms Hawn's golden years. Much more than “The Hangover for a female audience,” this pacy and unrelentingly daft movie focuses on its strong points which is Schumer giving us plenty of rib tickling and toe curling moments to keep us entertained.

Goldie is the perfect chalk to Amy's proverbial cheese and while some gags are predictable, a man tired of watching someone get accidentally shot in the neck with an arrow is a man tired of life. Bolstered by hilarious cameos from Joan Cusack and Wanda Sykes and peppered with some jokes that take welcome pops at the patriarchy, Snatched is an often hilarious summer romp.

EDWIN McFEE