Keeping Up with the Joneses (20th Century Fox – 2016) Review

Jeff and Karen Gaffney lead a fairly normal life in suburbia. As an HR Manager and Interior Designer, the two seem lost when they send their kids off to Summer camp. If only there was something (or someone) to put a little spark back into their lives…

In Keeping Up with the Joneses, the Joneses aren’t who they say they are. Although they play the part of cookie cutter neighbours ready to settle into a life in suburbia, Tim and Natalie Jones have a secret and the Gaffney’s are going to find out what it is.

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot, Keeping Up with the Joneses combines action found in spy films and slapstick comedy to give you a few laughs and a typical spy/civilian narrative.

As someone who usually shies away from films with comedic elements or ones that are a driven strongly by the comedy genre, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself smiling at the odd scene and enjoying Keeping Up with the Joneses as a feel good film. I didn’t go into it with expectations or the thought that I’d be left with a profound message, I went into it for entertainment and have to say, I was entertained.

It’s not difficult to say that perhaps comedy is one the hardest genres to challenge these days and hence the lack of interest for modern audiences. I suppose in terms of storytelling in general there is always going to be someone that says ‘I’ve seen this before’ or, ‘we’ve seen this a hundred times, give me something new’.

Keeping Up with the Joneses is a quintessential action/comedy flick, there’s no doubt about that, but isn’t a key aspect of comedy to leave you feeling good or as a mere escape from the real world?

To those going to the cinema for something new, Keeping Up the Joneses won’t cut it, but the familiarity will still make people go out, see it and enjoy it nonetheless.

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