{"id":40479,"date":"2023-07-29T14:42:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-29T18:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=40479"},"modified":"2023-07-29T14:45:20","modified_gmt":"2023-07-29T18:45:20","slug":"the-slumber-party-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/29\/the-slumber-party-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The Slumber Party (2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I imagine the board meeting at Disney Channel went \u201cWhat if we did \u201cThe Hangover<\/a>\u201d–but G rated?\u201d And what we got was \u201cThe Slumber Party.\u201d Director Veronica Rodriguez lays all of her influences out for the audience from minute one, even involving a small group of friends that make a pact that results in a night that neither of them can recall. It\u2019s almost verbatim sans any and all adult content. Not that that\u2019s a bad thing in particular, as thankfully \u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d is quite good. The fact it\u2019s blatantly derivative of the aforementioned movie is outweighed by the charisma of its cast, and its lively energy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When three best friends Megan, Paige, and Anna Maria have a sleepover to celebrate Anna Maria\u2019s birthday (with Anna Maria\u2019s soon to be stepsister Veronica), things become adventurous. A mysterious party starter, Mr. Mesmer comes and hypnotizes the girls so that they live a fearless life. They awake the next morning with no memory of the previous night. Now with only a shaved eyebrow, a lone shoe, and a flock of ducklings as evidence, they go on the search for a missing Anna Maria before her parents\u2019 wedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d is through and through a very unabashed remake of \u201cThe Hangover\u201d right down to plot points and gags. Yes, I know \u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d is an adaptation of a book, but the book itself is clearly a riff on \u201cThe Hangover.\u201d Director Veronica Rodriguez puts her characters through the wringer much as the original movie does, except everything is left very watered down for the G rated crowd. Instead of a hangover, the girls have no memory because of a botched hypnotizing spell. And rather than a mysterious tattoo, main character Megan has a missing eyebrow.<\/p>\n

In either case, aside from picking out what plot elements \u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d took from \u201cThe Hangover,\u201d thankfully the Disney original movie is entertaining enough that it\u2019s almost charming. It almost always feels like one of those under the radar kids films from the early nineties, at times. The movie is very well directed and the spirit is light in tone, even in spite of addressing more weighty topics like mixed families, and the pressures to grow up. If anything, \u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d is saved by the charismatic performances by its principle cast. Darby Camp is very good as main protagonist Megan, while Emmy Liu-Wang, and Alex Cooper Cohen are a lot of fun in their respective characters. Cooper Cohen is a genuine scene stealer.<\/p>\n

I also very much liked Caroline Valencia as Anna Maria\u2019s bratty little sister. Much of the film\u2019s entire success revolves around the foursome and they handle their roles well. Even when the movie is at its cheesiest, \u201cThe Slumber Party\u201d is still a pretty fun, breezy coming of age film. If you can get past the fact it takes from \u201cThe Hangover\u201d wholesale, it\u2019s still a raucous DCOM.<\/p>\n