[Movie] Fun And Entertaining! Keeping Up With The Joneses (2016)

I went through my collection of action comedies that I really enjoyed and decided to do a throwback to this relatively interesting movie that featured Gal Gadot at the start of her acting career and she did great on it. The plot and acting are what gave this movie a plus in my view. Imagine living in a quiet, lovely suburban residence and a couple moves in next door. You'd expect they will bring you food (I think it's a US culture thing) instead this couple brings guns, secret missions and enough trouble to disturb the peace in the neighbourhood.

Written by Michael LeSieur and directed by Greg Mottola, Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016) is an American action comedy that stars Gal Gadot and Jon Hamm as secret agents, Isla Fisher and Zach Galifianakis as a suburban couple together with other supporting actors to deliver an interesting performance.

This movie focuses on Jeff and Karen Gaffney (Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher) who live comfortably in a suburban residence. Jeff works in human resources while Karen is an interior designer. They have two children and their life is fairly predictable. Then Tim and Natalie Jones (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot) move into the neighbourhood. But they stir up suspicion because they appear almost perfect, attractive and wealthy.

The Gaffneys take an interest in the Joneses. Karen is suspicious of them while Jeff is fascinated by them. Their glamourous lifestyle soon becomes difficult to ignore so Karen becomes curious and starts looking into their background. She finds that their polished suburban image was a cover. The Joneses are not who they appear to be and something dangerous is brewing. Before long, Jeff and Karen find themselves caught up in a world of espionage, criminals and dangerous missions. Will they survive it?

My Review And Rating

I'm always for action thriller movies but add in good comedy and you have my attention. That's what this movie does for me. The plot is solid but the storytelling and acting makes this film better than I expected.

I love how it plays with the idea of appearances. Jeff and Karen look like an ordinary couple who enjoy their comfortable life while the Joneses look like they have everything figured out. Yet neither couple has the perfect life. The Joneses have danger and secrets hanging over them while the Gaffneys have their own insecurities and frustrations. This is a relatable scenario which this film portrays very well.

The cast brings much entertainment to this movie otherwise it would have been a drag. Zach Galifianakis' awkward and ordinary personality is convincing. He is funny without needing every scene to become a loud joke. Isla Fisher gives Karen the right amount of curiosity and determination especially when she becomes convinced that something is wrong with their neighbours.

I've always loved Gal Gadot in action. Her performance in this movie is effortless. She brings a cool and controlled quality to her Natalie character. Her chemistry with Jon Hamm is convincing. I liked both of them together as a couple in this film. Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis’ interactions give the movie some of its better comedic moments.

The action is even better and fun without being the main reason to watch the film. There are car chases, explosions, shootouts and spy missions but this movie remains rooted in comedy. In some scenes, the action sequences are deliberately exaggerated and I think it's because the humour comes from watching regular people try to survive situations that are outside their experience.

The cinematography and visuals are well done. Keeping Up With The Joneses doesn't take itself seriously as some spy films do. It's a well-paced, entertaining action comedy that follows the usual formula so anyone looking for a complex spy thriller might find this one too lightweight. For me, that is also part of its appeal.

Rating this movie, I'd give it 7 out of 10 stars. It's a light and fun film built around an amusing premise and a cast that knows their onions. So if you enjoy a little chaos with action and a few laughs, you can check this movie out.