Listen, I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the attempt. Jon Lucas and Scott Moore landed correctly on the spa life as a premise, and I believe the 4 funny as hell female leads they cast in their film. But sadly, Spa Weekend combines those two good things poorly that it potentially damages the reputation of both. I so wanted to love this one like I did Lucas & Moore’s Bad Moms, but my hope for the next big studio comedy sensation has to wait a little longer.
Jane (Leslie Mann), Coco (Michelle Buteau), Sophie (Anna Faris), and Mel (Isla Fisher) have been friends since elementary school. Time and life has drifted them apart and made them wound up, from either crazy schedules (Jane), an insane boss (Sophie), a too fresh divorce (Coco), and their impulsive crazy lifestyle (Mel). At brunch, Jane, Coco, and Sophie decide to do a spa weekend for Jane’s birthday, but don’t want to invite Mel since she’s the crazy friend. But full hearted Sophie panic last minute invites Mel, catnip for a woman like her to bombard herself into the supposed to be relaxing weekend. Mayhem and emotional friendship catharsis ensue.
Spa life was long overdue for a comedic takedown. Broad concepts like that are where Jon Lucas/Scott Moore comedies always start. There’s too much self seriousness for them to not get some excellent eviscerations. In fact, the setpieces here are pretty good! There’s a meditation gone wrong with an excellent punch line, one of the funnier car chase ideas we’ve had in a while, and a pretty fun party sequence. Erika Heynatz has a blast playing the godlike owner of the spa, trying to exude inner peace but forced to scream out expletives at our ADHD leading ladies. We get classic spa names like Kai and Ayurveda that lead to great runners from Leslie Mann and Michelle Buteau. Buteau’s rise has been a delight to watch, as every sequence it’s clear she’s improving are the best parts of the movie, like her incomprehension around her ex Roger’s (Dominic Ona-Ariki) older rebound girlfriend.
On paper, this is a fearsome foursome. But apparently Moore and Lucas have writing capacity for 3 leading ladies only. Leslie Mann, Isla Fisher, and Michelle Buteau are given at least enough material to let loose and cook a little bit, even if the story wrangles them in more often than I was hoping. I hope Anna Faris isn’t hurting for money; she has exactly one funny moment but otherwise plays Sophie “meek” and that’s it, sounding also like she was spa drunk on set as well. There’s also a couple places in here where Moore and Lucas flirt a little to closely with lazy female and especially African-American stereotypes. Coco’s big issue is she’s angry? I cringed every time they try to write jokes about it; Buteau gracefully bails them out with her comedic prowess. Broad comedies can be fun if done right; Spa Weekend goes for the low hanging fruit and seems too content to just get a massage and chill on the beach.
Can’t say I blame them though. But hey, studios, let’s try a little harder on your comedies please? My great movie memories are that collective joy of laughter in the theater when a joke hits you just right. I’d love that world to happen again sometime soon. Hell give me Kay Cannon writing Spa Weekend 2 with the same cast, and see what she comes up with instead? Chicago comediennes for the win!