Like Judd Apatow, my first exposure to Amy Schumer was the Comedy Central Roasts and her appearances on Howard Stern.  That led Apatow to develop this picture with her.  Based on the cast and the trailers, all signs pointed to a hilarious comedy that didn’t follow the typical formula.  And since it wasn't Apatow's material, I hoped that he wouldn't be so precious and would deliver a tight, well paced comedy.

 

Of course my hopes weren't answered.  While it is the shortest feature he has delivered in years, it's still over two hours long.  Now running time wouldn't matter if the picture was well paced and compelling throughout.  But it's not.  It's like every other Apatow flick, scenes go on too long and the pacing is a mess.  That's not to say it's a bad movie, it's not.  But a tighter edit would improve it significantly.  The writing by Amy Schumer is pretty solid, though there are scenes that feel more like sketches than scenes in a movie and there are time when Schumer just seems to be spitting out jokes.

 

Amy Schumer as Amy seems game for anything and puts herself in plenty of funny and awkward situations.  But when she's just spitting out jokes, it takes you out of the movie.  And then there's the sex scene with John Cena.  He's completely naked.  She is clothed.  When would that happen in reality?  Obviously Schumer didn't want to do nudity, but then why include such an explicit scene that just doesn't ring true?

 

Bill Hader makes the most of playing the romantic leading man, Aaron.  He handles both the dramatic and the comedic material well and continues to prove that he is a talented, well rounded actor.

 

Brie Larson as Amy's sister helps to ground the film.  She is a very talented actress and does well with the material she's been given.  

 

Colin Quinn as Amy's Father Gordon steals every scene that he is in.  He is a riot.

 

Classic Hollywood actor Norman Lloyd is well used as a counterpoint to Colin Quinn.  They have some great banter.

 

John Cena seems game for anything, but the material is very hit or miss.  He does score a few laughs though.  

 

Who thought LeBron James was funny?  His performance seems forced in every scene and it's hard to believe that he is Bill Hader's best friend.  This may have worked in a cameo or a sketch, but it doesn't work here.  

 

There are a bunch of other cameos.  Some work, some don’t, and some are just bizarre.  

 

While the picture is uneven and poorly paced there are plenty of highlights.  The funeral scene is very well written and performed and quite emotional.  The scene where Aaron confronts Amy about letting him down and the subsequent we're not going to bed angry sequence is excellent.  The chemistry between Schumer and Hader is strong and they have a lot of charming, funny scenes together.  The relationship between Schumer and Larson is handled well and helps to anchor the picture.  And every scene with Colin Quinn in it sings.  

 

TRAINWRECK is anything but as it's actually very funny and at times handles some solid dramatic material.  Sadly, there's a better, shorter picture to be found in there somewhere, but since we don't typically get shortened DVD versions, we will never see it.  It's above average for current comedies, it's just not great.