When a creative talent has a big commercial breakthrough, it’s fascinating to see what they do with their newfound clout. For Amy Schumer, whose success skyrocketed in the wake of Trainwreck‘s success, it appears to be luring Goldie Hawn out of retirement; remarkably, Snatched marks Hawn’s first film role since 2002’s The Banger Sisters. If the resulting film doesn’t quite live up to the potential of Trainwreck or what one might expect would lure Hawn out of retirement, Snatched is still a solid summer comedy.
When Emily (Schumer) is dumped by her musician boyfriend shortly before a non-refundable vacation to Ecuador, she finds herself desperate enough to bring someone that she decides to ask her mother. Linda (Hawn), a divorcee living with a number of cats and her agoraphobic son (Ike Barinholtz), is eventually talked into going. The two spend the first part of the trip bickering, particularly when Emily hooks up with the gorgeous James (Tom Bateman). On an excursion into the jungle, though, Emily and Linda find themselves kidnapped by a local gangster (Oscar Jaenada). When they’re able to escape, they find themselves struggling to survive in the Amazon.
I suspect that Schumer is best when she’s writing her own material, which isn’t the case here. Instead, that responsibility falls to The Heat and Ghostbusters screenwriter Katie Dippold. While Dippold’s script has its funny moments, and director Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies, The Night Before) keeps the film to a brief 91 minutes, there’s little inherent to the film itself to make it worthwhile. What makes the film work as much as it does is the comic abilities of its lead stars. Hawn shows why she’s been missed over the last 15 years, and Schumer is clearly bringing her A-game. As a result, Snatched makes for a solid piece of summer comedy.
Outtakes Atlanta 