JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION Movie Reaction | First Time Watch | Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams

The hosts found 'Johnson Family Vacation' to be a surprisingly enjoyable and 'feel-good' movie, noting that despite visible green screen, dated cell phones, and some jokes that wouldn't land today, the film's core comedy and family dynamic allowed it to age well over two decades.

Jabby states, "it's aged for the most part. It's actually aged pretty well. Like the only thing that gave it away is the cell phones and some like jokes here and there where it's like, 'Oh, that's not going to go very well today.'" Vivian adds, "it's enjoyable. Yeah. No, I definitely had I mean, there were definitely moments that made me laugh like strong."

Cedric the Entertainer's role as Nate Johnson, a middle-class father navigating family issues and a competitive reunion, was seen as a refreshing and well-embodied character, different from his more common 'old dude' archetype in films like 'Barbershop.'

Jabby notes, "to see him in this just dad role of just the man who's like, you know, middle class trying to just keep it together, keep his family together. It was interesting as a for me as a departure from the other role I'm used to seeing him do."

While entertaining, the film could have benefited from exploring the underlying marital issues between Nate and Dorothy with more depth. The hosts felt the explanation for their separation was 'weak' and that more dialogue in this area would have enhanced the comedy by providing emotional 'eb and flow.'

Vivian points out, "'Oh, I didn't support you' was a little weak. They could have done more with that for sure." Jabby agrees, "I think if for me it would have enhanced the comedy because you have the the high the eb and flow of everything."

The hosts discussed Bow Wow's acting as DJ, finding it overly animated and 'extra,' causing him to stand out as less 'real' or grounded compared to the other characters, who generally played more subtle, 'grounded comedy.'

Jabby comments, "He just feels so extra to me every time I'm watching him. Like, it's he sticks out where everybody else is playing grounded comedy... and he's just dialed up." Vivian acknowledges, "I know people like that are just kind of like kind of cringe."

The hosts identified clear signs of budget-conscious filmmaking, such as extensive green screen use for car scenes and 'punched-in' shots, indicating that the film might have been rushed or made with limited resources. They compared this to other films like Tyler Perry's works and 'The Mandalorian' which use similar techniques.

Jabby observes, "there's a lot of green screen usage in the car... there were instances where they punched in... they didn't get enough coverage, which speaks to what you're talking about where they shot it really quickly."