Hell Baby (2013)
Average Rating: 4.4/10
Reviews Counted: 35
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 23
Though its brand of immature comedy may appeal to some, Hell Baby misses the mark with much of its humor, rendering it a largely ineffective -- and often crass -- genre sendup.
Average Rating: 3.2/10
Critic Reviews: 11
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 8
Though its brand of immature comedy may appeal to some, Hell Baby misses the mark with much of its humor, rendering it a largely ineffective -- and often crass -- genre sendup.
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Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 2,943
Movie Info
HELL BABY, a comedy scripted by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (Night at The Museum, Reno 911!: Miami) marks their co-directing debut. Jack (Rob Corddry) and Vanessa (Leslie Bibb) are an expectant couple that moves into the most haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans -- a house with a deadly demonic curse. Things soon spiral out of control for Jack and Vanessa, as well as their-not-so-helpful neighbor F'Resnel (Keegan-Michael Key), Vanessa's friendly psychiatrist (Michael Ian Black), Vanessa's
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Cast
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Rob Corddry
Jack -
Leslie Bibb
Vanessa -
Keegan Michael Key
F'Resnel -
Riki Lindholm
Marjorie -
Thomas Lennon
Father Padrigo -
Robert Ben Garant
Father Sebastian -
Michael Ian Black
Dr. Marshall -
Paul Scheer
Ron -
Rob Huebel
Mickey -
Kumail Nanjiani
Cable Guy -
Dave Holmes
Father Padrigo -
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All Critics (35) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (23)
The film's reliance on female nudity for edge seems approximately as ancient as the withered hag who keeps trying to get it on with Corddry.
Top Critic[It] rarely dares to be smart, settling instead for familiar gags that would have the Devil himself yawning.
A film that's less than half as funny as its predecessor, and a sliver as clever as the original.
This offensive, crass pastiche makes "Grown Ups 2" look like a paragon of wit and good taste.
There are genre satires, and then there are dumb comedies that wish they could qualify for that status.
Its modest (if occasionally gross-out) stabs at genre parody rarely insult our intelligence and even allow for the kind of retro deadpan silliness Mel Brooks used to underline his louder punch lines.
A slog through improv run amok -- a film that seems allergic toward anything that might be construed as a legitimate throughline, lest that somehow be interpreted as 'selling out,' and not subversive enough.
Hell Baby offers a welcome alternative to the overwrought seriousness of modern horror movies with its frequently hilarious take on familiar genre tropes.
This is just about the one-billionth movie to lampoon the horror genre, but so what? It's hilarious.
Given the talent involved, it's a project that sounds promising (if maybe more than slightly derivative), but it winds up an unfortunate misfire.
The jaw drops at the drought of laughs in the horror spoof "Hell Baby," especially considering the massive amount of comic talent in front of and behind the cameras.
I can't say I didn't laugh during Hell Baby. I just didn't laugh as much as I would have liked to, or as much as I expected to.
Everything about it stinks, from the sophomoric writing to the sleep-inducing performances. But even more frightening is the feeling that the torture being inflicted by the writing-directing team of Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon will never end.
Certainly isn't the worst horror comedy of all time (see Transylmania)... But most of it is still pretty bad.
Like 98-minutes of 'MADtv.' I mean that in a good way.
It soon becomes apparent that the filmmakers, many of whom worked together on "The State" and "Reno 911!", aren't committed to their film's main conceit.
Hell Baby works as a joke factory first and foremost, a collection of tropes (some mocked) second, and a movie a distant third
Garant and Lennon's attempts at humor are absolutely terrible. It's as though they have no idea what comedy is or how it works. This results in a series of gags that they must think are hilarious, but are actually extremely sad and cringe-worthy.
In the end, the level of delirium is addictive. Getting there, however, is a challenge which may or may not be worth your time.
It's all very goofy and gleefully performed, but it's difficult to figure out exactly what Garant and Lennon want from Hell Baby.
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