Film Review

09 January 2009 02:54 BST

Baby Mama

Directed by Michael McCullers, out July 25th in cinemas, starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Sheppard, Steve Martin running time 99 mins.

In a nutshell…

Pregnancy comedy creates disappointing baby

What's it all about?

Newly-promoted marketing executive Kate Holbrook (Fey) is riding high professionally but despite the adoration of her ponytail-sporting boss (Martin), her personal life has slowly suffered, leaving her alone at 37, with seemingly no prospect of realising her dream of starting a family.

When in-vitro fertilisation is given the thumbs down on scientific grounds, Kate turns to Chaffee Bicknell's (Sigourney Weaver) surrogacy centre, with white trash mother-to-be Angie Ostrowiski (Poehler) and her deadbeat husband Carl (Sheppard).

But while Kate goes headfirst into expectant mother mode, reading childcare books and preparing her apartment, Angie's unorthodox approach to pregnancy sees the pair soon at loggerheads.

Who's in it?

An Emmy-winner during her time on Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey has been adorned with Emmys and Golden Globes galore for NBC's hit show 30 Rock, while her 2004 comedy Mean Girls showcased a talented Lindsay Lohan, before all the rehab and messiness.

Amy Poehler co-starred with Fey on Saturday Night Live and is currently famed for her spot-on Hillary Clinton impersonation, while she is lined up for a sitcom based on NBC's The Office as well as moving into movies with parts in Blades of Glory and The Ex.

As an example…

"I just don't like your uterus." - Dr Manheim

"Being single is not an alternative lifestyle!" - Kate
"It is when you're 37." - Rose Holbrook

"I'm not discussing the lady business and all that with you, I mean I think it's a beautiful thing but it's disgusting." - Oscar

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars

It's too silly and slight for serious awards show consideration, but Fey and Poehler could be in the running for best double act gongs at the likes of the MTV Movie Awards.

What the others say

"Good comedy knows no gender, and be you woman, man or any sentient being with a funny bone, you will find boundless delight in two people doing what they do best: being very, very funny." - Olly Richards, Empire

"A tailor-made girls' night out movie, Baby Mama is a tidily wrapped package the contents of which you can easily guess before opening it." - Todd McCarthy, Variety

So is it any good?

Sort of. It wouldn't be your favourite child, more the slightly dim cute one for whom you had an irrepressible soft spot.

Sigourney Weaver is hilariously ruthless in a well-crafted part while Poehler provides some surprising vulnerability and a ridiculously ponytailed Steve Martin steals every scene in which he appears, putting in his funniest performance in years. The development of Poehler's character is especially pleasing, given its initially underwritten status and later twists to her role add a much-needed depth to the story, as you can't help but worry that it's going to turn into a 'classic odd couple' comedy. Fey, to her credit, is as competent as ever, and the verbal sparring between the two principals fizzes as you'd expect from two seasoned comediennes.

It's just all rather underwhelming. There's a low budget feel, even to the wry Endless Love impregnation sequence, and the story arc remains resolutely predictable throughout.

Directorially, McCullers is a little out of depth, treading water that would be fine on TV but swamps the plot on the big screen, and you can't help feel sorry for Martin, Greg Kinnear and Romany Malco in their functional supporting roles, called upon to do very little other than provide the occasional surreal/sensitive/sassy line respectively.

Only through the strong, charismatic performances of Fey and Poehler does this particular baby make it out of kindergarten and into elementary school.

6/10

Lewis Bazley

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