Keeping Up with the Joneses

Name: Keeping Up with the Joneses
Genre: Action, Comedy
Released: October 21, 2016
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 34
Cast: Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis

2016

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 178 Ratings

See All

7.3

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.3	Your Score
7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 178 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Now Playing: Keeping Up With The Joneses

Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: October 21, 2016 | PG-13

Starring: Gal Gadot, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis

Summary: An ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher) finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses (Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot) – their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors – especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. “Jones” are covert operatives.

Director: Greg Mottola

Genre(s): Action, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 105 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

IndieWire Jude Dry

Oct 19, 2016

The most surprising thing about Keeping Up with the Joneses isn’t that it’s actually funny, but that some touching unlikely friendships emerge amidst the outrageous action sequences. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Oct 18, 2016

An amiable time-killer of an espionage comedy. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Oct 20, 2016

Lazily written and indifferently filmed, this sendup of action/spy movies rarely works as a satire and becomes downright unbearable when it attempts to do things like character/relationship building. Read full review

Steve Davis

Oct 19, 2016

It’s meant to be thrilling fun, but it never takes off in the way imagined. Read full review

Julia Cooper

Oct 20, 2016

Mottola’s film is the unfortunate result of too much talent met with a clunky script – and the movie crumples under the weight of the cast’s star power. Read full review

Alan Zilberman

Oct 20, 2016

Mottola and LeSieur seem to have actively avoided the pursuit of wisdom, settling for broad gags — and the occasional explosion — instead. Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Oct 19, 2016

It’s as if somebody wrote out the basic setup, figured they would flesh out the character bits and plot twists and jokes later … and then never got around to it. It’s dispiriting and infuriating all at once. Read full review

SEE ALL 31 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Sextet

Sep 16, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Entertaining & Fun

Very tongue in cheek, and a bit of a parody on espionage/spy thrillers that somehow we are supposed to take seriously. The four characters all bounce of one another well, and Jon Hamm is always worth watching (how I miss Mad Men!) For some reason I kept imagining Rhys Darby in the role of Jeff Gaffney and Jodie Comer in the role of Natalie Jones.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

tipar

Aug 28, 2018

It is not a solid Thriller neither an outstanding comedy but an almost good and more than interesting Thriller Action Comedy Spy. You will have a good experience with that one.

6 of 6 users found this helpful60

Stagger74

Jul 15, 2021

》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》
*****************************************************

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

MarcDoyle

Oct 21, 2016

It's all about expectations - I had rock bottom expectations going in (given what the critics had been saying), and I was MORE than pleasantly surprised. I had some very big laughs in this movie. All 4 leads are excellent. Zack, in particular, has some really funny lines - his delivery isIt's all about expectations - I had rock bottom expectations going in (given what the critics had been saying), and I was MORE than pleasantly surprised. I had some very big laughs in this movie. All 4 leads are excellent. Zack, in particular, has some really funny lines - his delivery is spot on. There are some really bad comedies being pumped out of Hollywood these days, but The Joneses is not one of them. (See "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" - or, DON'T)… Expand

18 of 18 users found this helpful180

madmovieman

Nov 29, 2016

What I’m looking for in a good action comedy is very simple. Laughs, entertaining explosions and an engaging crime story. Unfortunately, Keeping Up With The Joneses has almost none of these. Save for the lead performances, there’s very little to keep you interested in this movie, taking aWhat I’m looking for in a good action comedy is very simple. Laughs, entertaining explosions and an engaging crime story. Unfortunately, Keeping Up With The Joneses has almost none of these. Save for the lead performances, there’s very little to keep you interested in this movie, taking a formulaic story and providing very little fun or excitement at any point.

In general, I was very disappointed by this film, but there is one part of it that isn’t so bad: the performances. The A-list cast of Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot are their normal selves, and that allows for at least a little bit of quality to shine through.

Whilst they have next to nothing to work with, Galifianakis shows off his typically enjoyable slapstick, Fisher is as likable as ever, Hamm is suave and cool when it comes to being a super-spy, and Gadot is as good in the action sequences as she is as Wonder Woman. Whilst the foursome don’t always have the best chemistry, their individual turns are enough to give you a little bit of joy in this film.

Unfortunately, there’s very little else to praise about Keeping Up With The Joneses. Of all the issues, I suppose the biggest has to be its sense of humour. Action comedies aren’t the easiest to get right, particularly as they are more reliant on physical humour than witty dialogue, but that hasn’t stopped some classics like Beverly Hills Cop, Hot Fuzz and Spy in the past.

However, this film is almost entirely reliant on the dumbest and most predictable sort of comedy. Its slapstick is repetitive to a tedious extent, the dialogue is bland and frail throughout, and it even reveals a complete lack of confidence in itself by numerous desperate attempts to get laughs and attention through numerous scenes designed for the newly-popular YouTube thumbnail phenomenon.

In that, there’s definitely no reason to expect lots of laughs from this film, and what’s worse is that the action isn’t any better. A bit (or even a lot) of mindless action is fine by me in an action comedy, but what makes the action sequences so poor here is how they’re directed. The big budget explosions may look cool, but each pursuit and fight feels so formulaic, plodding along at a dull pace and going through the motions of any Hollywood action movie, providing no unpredictability, tension or excitement when necessary.

And finally, there’s the story. Again, I don’t expect a gripping thriller from this sort of movie, but something a little unpredictable and different wouldn’t have done any harm. Unfortunately, it’s yet another lazy and formulaic thing about the movie, going through every single beat of a big-budget action comedy that you’ve seen a million times before, stupidly keeping the film’s more comedic elements largely separate from the action and crime, and creating an ultimately tedious and uninteresting watch.

Overall, Keeping Up With The Joneses is as poor as its YouTube thumbnails suggest. Despite an A-list cast trying to make the best of a bad situation, it fails to provide any laughs, excitement or even anything slightly different from the generic Hollywood formula.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

Bias

Oct 26, 2016

Light fluff for an excuse to go to the movies and eat horribly unhealthy food in the form of overpriced "buttered" (who really knows what it is) popcorn and cola. Its about Zach who looks like he's been smoking weed through the whole shooting of the film, and his wife. They find out theirLight fluff for an excuse to go to the movies and eat horribly unhealthy food in the form of overpriced "buttered" (who really knows what it is) popcorn and cola. Its about Zach who looks like he's been smoking weed through the whole shooting of the film, and his wife. They find out their neighbors are Russian spies and lots o' laughs ensue. Or perhaps not so much, but at least I wasn't working, either at home or at work. So at least there's that. Our theater upgraded to these mechanized lounge chairs seats. Perrty sweet way to eat popcorn.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

EpicLadySponge

Oct 21, 2016

This comedy is nowhere near gold. It's the same to saying that Keeping Up with the Joneses does whatever it keeps trying to make the audience laugh but every single bit of it was left from all the poor attempts it tries. This is not a comedy, repeat, it's not an actual comedy. It's a threat.

1 of 30 users found this helpful129

SEE ALL 30 REVIEWS