These days are slim Pickens for anyone who wants to actually go into a movie theater and watch a film the way it should be seen. Covid has made theaters play old blockbusters, which I think is great but the 1st run films have been at best below average. When I saw the trailer for Half Brothers I knew exactly the type of movie it would be. A road trip story about 2 brothers who can't stand each other come to love each other on a trip to find out what happened to their father. These type of stories have been done before and much better.

The performances are lively but there isn't any real tension and the comedy at best insipres grins and moans ar worst. The film also tries to bang the illegal immigration subject home with showing Americans as ignorant bigots. It's so in your face it's insulting.

A sitcom without the laugh track!!!

A waste!!!

Grade: D

This movie is not very funny and quite predictable. The quick overview: A Mexican father leaves his wife and beloved son to go to America and never comes back. When the father dies in America, his Mexican son goes on a road trip with his , younger American half brother to figure out why dad did not come back to his Mexican family. What I liked: The acting of the father and the two half brothers. The jokes about Americans who have a narrow view of Mexicans. The "escape room" type riddles that let the brothers to their next place. What I did not like: The story was far fetched. Most jokes were not funny. The American half brother was portrayed as a real looser. The fighting scenes between the half brothers were silly. The scene with the balloons, trying to create Ethanol was absurd. This movie is okay to watch but I would not really recommend it.

IN A NUTSHELL: Directed by Luke Greenfield, this comedic bromance movie is about a road trip with two guys, one in America and the other in Mexico, who didn't know each other existed. Personally, I have a half brother, but I definitely know he exists. The movie looks at that nuanced relationship in a fairly effective way mixed with some humor and lots of drama.

Thank you to Focus Features for inviting me to the virtual screener so I could watch this and give you the scoop. I wouldn't race out to the theater to see this if I were you, but it's entertaining enough that you might want to check it out when it goes to streaming, which should be pretty soon after its theatrical release.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: A father lets his son drink beer. Subtitles in Spanish Some profanity in Spanish. Name-calling

THEMES: Immigration policies that tear families apart Family, parenting, brotherhood, siblings "Always try to see things from a different perspective." - Evaristo Entitled Americans Infidelity Don't give up on people. Empathy Regrets Connection There's nothing wrong with being different. USA/Mexico strained relations Choices and consequences

THINGS I LIKED: The half brothers are played by Luis Gerardo Mendez and Connor Del Rio. They really do look like they could be half-brothers! They also looked like they had a blast making the movie. The cast also includes Jose Zuniga and many other actors unfamiliar to most American audiences. The goat is completely unnecessary but pretty hilarious. I liked the mystery of following the clues that Evaristo, the dad, left for his sons. The pacing is pretty good with a new clue in the mystery leading us along.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: As a comedy, it's not as funny as I had hoped or as the movie poster suggests. As a drama, I never shed a tear or got the feels in a significant way. The plot felt pretty forced. We've seen this type of story before, so the ending is very predictable. The backstory feels like a telenovela. There are a few running gags throughout the film and are supposed to be funny, but they kind of fall flat. Multi-cultural stereotypes. It's hard to sympathize with or even like the father after he has abandoned both of his sons and traumatized their childhood.

You can see the rest of my review on my Movie Review Mom YouTube channel and website.