Movie Review - Instant Family

When I saw the poster for Instant Family, I instantly wanted to watch it. I'm not sure why--I'm not a real fan of any of the cast, I've never seen a trailer for the film, and I didn't really know what the movie was about, but something about it intrigued me.

Instant Family is a 2018 live action comedy / drama film. It is rated PG-13 for language and serious content and is appropriate for  most ages.

The Good

Humor. This movie made me laugh as hard as I've ever laughed watching a movie. Most of it is very serious and/or heartwarming, but there are many, many funny parts. What made the humor work so well was how honest it was. This movie didn't try to sugar coat anything (except the ending).

Honesty. This movie isn't afraid to shows the trials, tribulations, and other warts that happen with foster care and adoption. The comedy comes from the honesty.

Story. The story was great. It covered a lot of different aspects of foster care, adoption, and the myriad of things people involved have to deal with.

Casting. Everyone in this movie did a great job and fit the role.

The Bad

Ending. This movie does such a good job showing how hard and awkward parenting, foster care, and adoption can be and yet how rewarding at the same time. Nothing is simple and easy until the end when everything is. It just didn't fit and I felt a little deceived.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the ending hadn't been so quick and easy with everything wrapped up so perfectly. The rest of the film showed the warts of reality; why couldn't the ending?

Overall

Instant Family is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. It presents a very honest look at the trials, tribulations, and rewards of foster care and adoption. It doesn't try to sugar coat anything, and that is where the funniest jokes come from. The cast is great, the story solid, and the message felt natural and not contrived. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.