Man Up (2015) Reviews

• Uplifting.

  datorsiers22015-11-18

  I usually do not like romcoms, since most of the time they are very predictable, with a happy ending etc. Was this a classic romcom? Yes, it kind of was, at least in its essence, but that does not mean i did not enjoy it, it just felt somehow awkwardly right. It really is surprisingly likable, hence most of the reviews are decent on this movie. The film has great flow, pace and it just somehow feels right, it is cringy at moments, funny, sad and thoroughly enjoyable. The greatest asset of this movie is its success of making you feel happy, energized and with a positive look at life. Has many awkwardly cringy/funny moments, time passes by in a heartbeat, though the screen time is fairly short too. Its going to impress even those who traditionally dislike romantic comedies. Of course it is not spot on perfect, but for a short British romcom it is very successful and has fairly decent acting.

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• A romantic fairytale with good performances and some laughs...

  Dr_Sagan2015-11-15

  Unbelievable situations could often (at least in the movies) lead to great romances...like...it was meant to be... A man and a woman, desperate to meet their other halves (although with different approaches, one closed to herself, the other one just trying his luck "out there") end up having a (blind) date in current London, in a situation with mixed identities (sort of). Simon Pegg and Lake Bell have chemistry in the leading roles and give more than adequate performances. Overall: A romantic fairytale with quirky humor and an obvious, although impossible, ending!

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• Best feel good British rom-com of the year so far..

  kieranbattams2015-05-29

  To me Richard Curtis is the king of British Rom-Coms, Love Actually is a great film and in fact more recently we had About Time which was an incredibly feel good film which i enjoyed a hell of a lot more than i expected. Following that trend is directed by Ben Palmer who proves to be quite the competition to Curtis with a film the trailer makes us feel we've seen before, in fact i saw this simply because i happen to love Simon Pegg, but proves to be a surprisingly original film. Man Up follows Nancy played by Lake Bell who is a bit down on her luck when it comes to men to say the least. She is in her mid thirties and attempting to find love. When a chance encounter with a woman on a train results in her leaving her book for Nancy, which she was going to use for the certain man to find her results in Nancy accidentally going on a blind date with Jack (Simon Pegg) she immediately hits it off with him and we have the rest of our movie to unfold. Sure the premise doesn't sound like the most interesting premise but it is handed to us so well that it proves to be a highly entertaining and hilarious journey into these people's lives and we learn a lot on the way with them. First off, Simon Pegg and Lake Bell both pull off very good performances. You can see that their hearts are both invested into their respective roles and the chemistry between them is on point and makes us root for their relationship to grow and work out. You want Nancy to be the girl that Jack was hoping for and you don't want him to be with this other girl because you feel the emotions of both characters. A problem with many romantic comedies these days is that the emphasis on the romance is ramped up so much that the comedy almost always falls flat. With Man Up these people ultimately want different things and the romance element feels less in your face meaning the comedy gets a chance to develop. There are scenes in this film which are genuinely so funny and had me laughing out loud which i don't find a lot these days with rom-coms. This is mostly due to, again,the chemistry between the lead characters. One or two things in the film feel like they come out of nowhere such as Shaun, a character played by Rory Kinnear. His character was funny and all but this would almost be the same film without him, except for a great climax which i really did like. In the end though Man Up is a genuine and heartfelt film which really does make you feel good by the end of it and i came out of it feeling like i had a great time. Great performances, great plot and well played comedy makes this the best British rom-com.. if not only British Rom-Com of 2015 so far and was a lot better than i expected it would be. Check this out if you're British because i am certain many of you can relate to the characters in some way or another.

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• Quite a lovely one

  carlarsmendes2015-09-22

  My advice? Watch it? nd don't watch the trailer, there is no need I wasn't expecting a typical American comedy, since I usually appreciate Simon Pegg's work. But I wasn't expecting to enjoy it this much. It seemed to me like a romantic movie but realistic in many ways - Including the fact that the actors are not typically young and gorgeous from every angle - They are beautiful yes, in their own authentic way, much like their characters I think. And of course it's a cliché film in many ways, but still made me smile and laugh out loud many times. I will recommend to my friends who appreciate quality cinema. It's one of the good ones!

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• Nancy!

  SnoopyStyle2016-04-02

  Nancy (Lake Bell) is a 34 year old single and tired of being set up. She's on the train to her parents' anniversary party when she encounters 24 year old relentlessly optimistic Jessica (Ophelia Lovibond). Jessica is a devotee of a self-help book on her way to a blind date with divorcée Jack (Simon Pegg). Jessica leaves her book with Nancy. Unwilling to take it, Nancy races to return it back to Jessica only to be intercepted by Jack who mistakes her for Jessica. Nancy is intrigued and steals the blind date. The premise is unusual. It comes with some potential pitfalls but the script handles each one with fun. It eventually follows the try-and-true rom-com formula but it also has a few surprises. Lake Bell is delightful even with her fake accent. Simon Pegg hits exactly the right notes at the right times. They are delightfully fun together and I love "Nancy!". I laughed whenever they yelled it. Each turn delivers touching fun and these two are a superb duo.

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