Fey and Poehler Define Arrested Development in SISTERS

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Sisters Unrated Poehler Fey Blu-ray review Critical Blast

Maura Ellis (Amy Poehler) is a divorcee who has put all her efforts into helping other people at the expense of her own happiness. Kate Ellis (Tina Fey) is a wild-child single mother who can't keep a job. When they return to their childhood home to reconnect, they learn that their parents (James Brolin, Dianne Wiest) have just sold the place. So how do the titular SISTERS deal with this latest -- and seemingly heaviest -- blow to their self-esteem?

By reliving their high school days and throwing a wild party, inviting all their high school friends (and excluding all their high school rivals). But age has taken its toll on their old crew: parenthood, middle-life maladies, and the dreaded monster, Responsibility, have overtaken them. But this is nothing that a boat-load of booze and a buffet of illegal drugs won't conquer, courtesy of Dave (John Leguizamo) and his frighteningly built connection, Pazuzu (John Cena).

While Kate struggles to refrain from partying, choosing this time to be the party mom so that repressed sister Maura can have an opportunity to get with the neighbor (Ike Barinholtz). But when Kate learns the secret Maura has been keeping from her about her daughter (Madison Davenport), and Maura finds out that Kate has broken her promise to keep things in line, the girlfight turns out to be the high point of a house-demolishing, paint-pooled, suds-filled bacchanalia of epic proportions.

Now, there's actually some story that goes on here, but it gets lost in the wall-to-wall antics that go on in this celebration of arrested development. It's not without its moments -- Kate flirting with Pazuzu, Kate's confrontations with her high-school nemesis, Brinda (Maya Rudolph), and an accident with a ballerina music box being chief among them -- but it's mostly an ode to lost youth with a neatly wrapped up happy ending. The unrated version contains a boatload of F-bombs and sexual discussion (which, come to think of it, so does the R-rated version), so be prepared ahead of time.

The Blu-ray is stuffed with bonus materials, including a feature commentary from Fey, Poehler, Director Jason Moore and Writer Paula Pell. There are several video clips as well, including "The Alex Chronicles" (starring Bobby Moynihan as the high school friend who thinks he's a comedian) and "The Kate and Pazuzu Chronicles," both set within the world of SISTERS. If you need instructions on how to throw a good party and can't remember how you did it as a teen (Hint: they still sell Peppermint Schnapps) then there's an instructional video here to help you out. Deleted Scenes, gag reels, and some making-of videos round out the collected bonuses on this set.

Previews include UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, ROCK THE KASBAH, BIG STONE GAP, KINDERGARTEN COP 2, LEGEND, and RIDE ALONG 2.

Grade: 
3.0 / 5.0