Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice review: Time-traveling gangster comedy is a must-see crowd-pleaser
Cheers to BenDavid Grabinski. The writer/director of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice takes a bold swing, combining elements of gangster movies and time-travel adventures to craft a comedy that's wildly unique. And he created the perfect way to introduce such an unexpected subgenre mash-up, with a high-energy performance from Ben Schwartz.
The improv comedian reteams with his Sonic the Hedgehog co-star James Marsden in this dark sci-fi comedy. But the two won't share any scenes together. Instead, Schwartz channels his irrepressible verve into a full-throated performance of an undersung gem: "Why Should I Worry?" the Billy Joel single from Oliver & Company. Yes. This movie about gangsters and time travel begins with Ben Schwartz bopping around a warehouse, doing some sort of science-y stuff while singing his heart out to an upbeat track from the 1988 Disney adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, which reimagines all the characters as cats and dogs, most of them strays.
Why? I had no idea. And that's actually the pleasure of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice's opening. Even though I had a rough idea of the plot, I couldn't guess why this was the scene that kicked things off. It's inexplicable and funny. That was enough. And then the tone of the film shifts abruptly with a bit of jolting violence, and off we go on an adventure that is defiantly outside the box, and all the more thrilling for it.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a love-triangle thriller too.
Without any explanation of who the character played by Ben Schwartz is, this comedy surges forward to the welcome-home party for Jimmy Boy (Scream 7's Jimmy Tatro). The adored son of kingpin Sosa (Keith David) has just been released from a several-year stint in prison. But amid the festivities, resentments and secrets are festering.
Mob wife Alice (I Love Boosters' Eiza González) tries to nuzzle up to her hitman husband Nick (Vince Vaughn), but he offers back only a low snarl. Little wonder she'll be ditching the party to hook up with Nick's longtime colleague Quick Draw Mike (Marsden). But their tryst will be interrupted by a surprise guest: Future Nick (Vaughn). You see, Present Nick has set in motion a plan for revenge that involves a masterful frame job and a hired gun known for eating his victims. But Future Nick regrets his choices, and so traveled back in time to prevent himself from committing this brutal payback. However, it's not just the aforementioned cannibal hitman that Nick and Mike and Alice have to face off against. It's also a legion of Saso's mobsters, and Present Nick, who is at best an inconsistent ally.
BenDavid Grabinski shakes up a typical gangster tale with a smart application of science fiction.
This is perhaps less surprising considering that Grabinski developed Scott Pilgrim Takes Off alongside comic author Bryan Lee O'Malley. That sensational Netflix show used a time-travel plot twist to spin the familiar narrative of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World into a series of curious and hilarious alternate plot lines that uncovered unexpected aspects of the franchise's beloved and loathed characters.
Now, in gangster dramas jealousy and infidelity are major themes, popping up in The Godfather Trilogy, Goodfellas, The Sopranos, The Departed, Gangs of New York, Casino, and many, many more. Within the genre, male mobsters are expected to have molls on the side. But if their wives even consider stepping out on their wedding vows, the assumed punishment is death and probably being buried in an unmarked grave.
Through the time-travel device, Grabinski not only inverts the standard plotline but also gives Nick space to face the consequences of his actions. What if playing into these macho ideas of revenge isn't actually what he wants? This brings an unexpected sense of reflection to the mobster tale, turning an internal conflict into an external one. Where Future Nick is looking to heal and not hurt others, Present Nick is still very in the feelings that push him into a murderous betrayal of his wife and friend. Vaughn plays both parts elegantly, bringing a scorching viciousness to Present Nick and a high-energy humility to Future Nick. There are moments where he is a one-man comedy duo, colliding with comedic conflict.
Marsden and González take a back seat to Vaughn's double-act but offer terrific supporting turns. For Marsden, that means playing an adorable dum-dum who argues that "chloroform" is a too-fancy term for "the wet rag thing." When pitted against Vaughn in comically confusing fight scenes, Marsden masterfully matches his energy, turning each pratfall into a punchline. González's role is less ripe for comedy, as Alice too often becomes the nagging wife, poking holes in plans or snarking at bad logic. But González has great chemistry with Marsden, which elevates simple-on-paper scenes, like a meet-cute flashback that leads to a charming dance number.
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is stuffed with stellar supporting players.
On top of his singing non sequitur setting up the buck wild nature of this comedy, Schwartz's opening scene also teases that Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice will deliver a terrific slate of comedy stars. Tatro is solidly funny as a dopey gangster whose fashion icon is Dwayne Johnson from his throwback fanny-pack era. David is delicious as a seething kingpin. Schitt's Creek's Emily Hampshire pops up as a dirty — and dirty-minded — cop, while Lewis Tan scores some laughs as a kinetic goon called Roid Rage Ryan. Arturo Castro, who stole scenes in Jake Gyllenhaal's Road House remake and Tron: Ares, is absolutely hilarious as a rambling mafioso, rightly nicknamed Dumbass Tony. Consummate character actor Stephen Root joins the fun for some mirthful mayhem, and even Dolph Lundgren pops by for a sprinkle of comically rich intensity.
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Altogether, this crackling cast makes for an outrageous good time. Grabinski's screenplay smartly sets up not a familiar framework, but a sandbox where his ensemble is invited to play. What they collectively come up with is an action-comedy that delivers on laughs and thrills, but also does much more. The sci-fi elements shake up the standard gangster drama, allowing for mind-bending reveals and a surprisingly sophisticated psychological self-awareness about regret, grief, and love. By breaking from the typically stern tone of a gangster story, Grabinski is able to fold in unexpected and silly pop culture references, like Oliver & Co. and a prolonged debate about The Gilmore Girls. Rather than feeling random, these allusions build the world of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice as one that's rich with possibility. So even as the final act takes an arguably cheap shot to a happy ending, you may well shrug it off with a "why not?" because it's just that fun.
Debuting out of SXSW, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice played to critics among an array of audacious films, including the I Love Boosters, Hokum, and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. Yet it stood its ground by smoothly blending genres to create a crowd-pleasing romp that's twisted, hilarious, and truly surprising.
Reviewed out of SXSW, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice debuts on Hulu on March 27.