Maya Rudolph

CHICAGO – The cover of “Friends with Kids” sells it as a fun ensemble comedy with three cast members from “Bridesmaids,” one of the stars of “Parks and Recreation,” and the super-talented Jon Hamm looking particularly cheery. It’s false advertising. In truth, the movie belongs to Adam Scott and co-star/writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt and even the small roles by the rest of the cast are often more dramatic than comedic. Even without the false bill of goods, “Friends with Kids” is a disappointing. It’s a strong vehicle for Scott and Hamm has a few good scenes but it’s ultimately less than the sum of its talented parts.

CHICAGO – Now this is getting interesting. NBC has officially renewed three comedies — “Parks & Recreation,” “The Office,” and the very on-the-bubble “Up All Night.” Rumors of “Parks” only getting a 13-episode commitment have proven to be true but there has been no official confirmation that this means that the fifth season will be the program’s last.

CHICAGO – Jennifer Westfeldt created a distinct movie persona in her debut in 2001 in “Kissing Jessica Stein,” but she has been generally off the radar since then. Her choice for a major film re-emergence is as a nebbish career woman with less memorable character traits. She also directs Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Maya Rudolph in “Friends with Kids.”

CHICAGO – Jennifer Westfeldt created a distinct movie character with her first film in 2001, writing and starring in “Kissing Jessica Stein.” She now makes her directorial debut, guiding an ensemble cast that includes Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott and herself in “Friends with Kids.”

CHICAGO- NBC has ordered full seasons for two of their new sitcoms: “Whitney” and “Up All Night.” “Whitney” has only aired two episodes and “Up All Night” has only aired three, but apparently the numbers and critical appeal was enough for NBC to give each show a shot at a full year.

CHICAGO – Warm, hilarious, silly and especially honest, “Bridesmaids” is the best, knock-out comedy of the year. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph lead a cast that proves you don’t need testosterone to do a funny, sometimes gross-out comedy. What’s necessary is character, timing, set-up and execution, and this wedding party has it all.

CHICAGO – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: DVD, we have 5 DVDs up for grabs in advance of the highly anticipated home entertainment release of the “R”-rated comedy “Bridesmaids” starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne!

CHICAGO – NBC’s “Up All Night,” debuting tonight, September 14th, 2011 at 9pm CST (before moving two hours earlier next week into its normal timeslot) is a very-promising new comedy largely due to the immense talent of its trio of stars and the relatable simplicity of its structure. As more and more people wait to have kids, how do the nights of wine tastings and social events transition to diaper-changing and bottle-warming?

CHICAGO – Not being familiar with the Kevin James filmography really helped in assessing his latest, “Zookeeper.” His appeal is very evident, and the filmmakers do some funny bits with the old “talking animal” routine.

CHICAGO – With an incredibly talented ensemble, heartfelt script, and honest characterizations, “Bridesmaids” has been touted as a revolutionary re-examination of what one should expect from the phrase “chick flick.”