by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Full transparency: I had no idea what was going to go down in Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice. I knew it had some talent attached with names like James Marsden, Eiza González, and Vince Vaughn. But before I started my watch, I lowkey thought this was a romantic comedy. I was pleasantly surprised to learn it was, in fact, a comedy crime movie. Then after watching Mike (Marsden) and Nick (Vaughn) bumble as enforcers, for most of the first act, this movie takes a wild sci-fi turn. And this genre twist was a welcome one as it heavily amped up my interest.
I won’t spoil the twist because I think it works better for a viewer to discover it on their own. It is not something wholly original, but I’ve never seen this kind of new element introduced part way through a Shane-Black-esque story. Honestly, it can be a lot for a viewer to absorb. So, you have to really be paying attention, but you will be rewarded. A big reason for that has to be the performances of the aforementioned leads. None of the lead characters are absolutely flabbergasted by what’s happened, and they just take it in stride. Their nonchalant nature works really well for keeping the comedy alive.
Allow me to use another movie with a sci-fi element to explain my postion. Back to the Future is about a time-traveling teenager trying to blend in when he’s living 30 years before his time. The humor comes from Marty McFly knowing what the future is like and seeing how his parents actually were as teens is a new experience for him. The comedy derived from this sci-fi predicament works because the story is about a bunch of 50s adolescents and one awkward “out of time” teen from the 80s. On the other end of the spectrum, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice works because everybody is a laid-back adult who is loosely connected to a crime syndicate. If they were flipping out because of the sci-fi predicament they are in, the tone would feel off. So, Vaughn, González, and Marsden have to be cool as cucumbers for the comedy to stick. As a result, the comedy works here as well.
While the writers and actors focused that tone very well the movie has the extra weight of that crime syndicate, helmed by Keith David as mob boss Sosa and Jimmy Tatro as Jimmy Boy, Sosa’s son. Now as a big fan of the final season of Community, Coraline, and The Princes and the Frog I am always happy to see Mr. David and hope he got paid HANDSOMELY for his time. Similarly, Tatro has earned my respect for his career choices in movies. (With the exception of Scream 7, I am on Melissa Barrera’s side.) But it felt like including a mob story overcomplicates things when we already have a big contrivance to swallow with the sci-fi twist in here. I love David as a kingpin, but I would want more time to focus on him. So, this compromise of him being a C-story lead is too little of him for me. I would have cut that part out.
But at least this gives Mike and Nick the chance to dispense of some nameless thugs. Now, are these two John Wick level? No. And neither is the action. But that’s like comparing your jump shot to Steph Curry’s. By no means is this bad action or poorly styled. For the most part it’s clear cut and easy to follow. I find it to be like grilled chicken with no seasoning: unremarkable. But there’s still some protein and it wasn’t undercooked so, I count it as just barely a net positive.
Ultimately, how much you enjoy Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice comes down to if you can get behind the combination of the dark comedic tone and the big twist I keep mentioning. With all the talk of keeping movies in theaters (which I am generally in favor of), I think putting a movie like this on streaming is a good choice. Tell a story with a twist and get some recognizable faces with talent on camera for 90-or-so minutes and watch the gold stars roll in.
Rating: Liked It
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is currently streaming on Hulu.
You can read more from Samuel Nichols, and follow him on Letterboxd