Friends with Kids: Blu Ray Review

Friends with Kids: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Gathering together much of the ensemble cast of Bridesmaids, Friends with Kids stars Parks and Rec's Adam Scott as advertising exec Jason and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt who wrote and directed this).

These longterm friends live in Manhattan and have a group of friends, Alex and Leslie (Chris O'Dowd and Maya Rudolph) and sex-obsessed Missy and Ben (Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig). When the two couples have kids, Julie and Jason feel sidelined by their friends and their brood.

So, one day, on the spur of the moment, they decide to have a child of their own too - but without the horrors of marriage (as they perceive them) to tie them down. But while their foray into parenthood goes well, their mutual decision to date other people causes friction between the pair....because there's true love lurking in there.

Friends with Kids is more drama, than dramedy.

Initially, though it starts off quite riotously funny before moving into hidden love territory with a story that's as old and as predictable as you could imagine. If you go into this expecting a Bridesmaids series of laughs as four of that cast are reunited, you'll be disappointed.

It's watchable enough fare as the smug Jason and blonde Julie negotiate their way through the inevitable complications but you may feel a little short changed as this piece, filled with occasional universal home truths, trundles on. Sadly Scott and Westfeldt have no real chemistry together, giving their true love reveal at the end a degree of implausibility. With moments of awkwardness and humour, and a final 20 minute stretch crammed with sentiment, Friends with Kids unfortunately never quite lives up to its initial promise.

Extras: Deleted scenes, bloopers and commentary

Rating: