Movie Review: The Family

I remember when I saw the previews for The Family last year and thinking this would make for a great rental. This past Sunday we got a buy one get one free at Redbox and jumped on it. Two movies for under two bucks is a pretty great deal. Our first pick was The Family starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer who play the parents of a mob family who snitched on the rest of the mob and are now on the run in a safe house in Normandy, France.

The premise is actually a good one and we really hoped for a light hearted action comedy. It was light hearted but the laughs were few and far between and the violence although not incredibly over the top felt forced. We get it, this is a mob family they are going to act slightly different then your normal suburban family but the over dramatization of each member seemed forced. 

The movie felt cliche as well. There is a scene towards the end where De Niro is invited to this American movie debate where you watch an American movie and debate it afterwards. The original movie is misplaced and what do they use instead, Goodfellas. I mean really its a mob movie and they use Goodfellas? Original. 

Its not a bad movie and just as Jenn and I predicted a very passable Sunday afternoon rental. I just wish there were more laughs.