I love to laugh in a packed theater, and am very forgiving in my ratings of comedies overall because I think it's a lot tougher to make a truly funny comedic film than any other genre. Most importantly, then, "Girls Trip" does deliver some genuine gut-busting, hilarious moments, but, at over two hours long, it bogs down during some repetitive, too-similar gags, and especially during the more sentimental moments. Toward the end some of those scenes even feel tacked-on, and slow the pace waaaay down--and I was so pulled out of the film's momentum I even had time to notice the otherwise wonderful ensemble seemed to get kind of bored performing those sentimental scenes. It would've really benefited from, say, a 90-minute running time, likely resulting in a non-stop hoot of a film that still told the whole story effectively. Another problem with finally seeing the film after having seen multiple versions of trailers for the film over the past few months is one that bugs the heck out of me (but, of course, is the fault of the marketing department and trailer editor, not the film itself): many of the best scenes and punch lines were in the trailers, so viewers who've seen the trailers get a kind of "deja vu" feeling watching much of the film--because you've already seen and heard so many of the funniest moments and punchlines. Overall, though, I do absolutely recommend the film for fans of raunchy, R-rated comedies (especially if you haven't seen the trailers beforehand), and do recommend viewers see it in a packed theater if possible--it delivers enough of a good time that it's well worth your time and money, and it's a joy to see these actresses having so much fun--for most of the film's run time.
Review of Girls Trip
