Good start, but then it gets ruined

Disappointment for a huge fan!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Jason Bateman is a bit of a puzzle to me. He's actually one of the best comedic actors in Hollywood, not so much for creating his own humour, but for playing off others perfectly. He doesn't always nail it, and requires the right script and fellow actors to make it work, but when it does come of it's a special thing to watch and makes for a great movie. It appears though that he's not happy with simply being "that guy". A lot of comedic actors go through phases where they venture out into other types of films, usually dramas. Some have more success than others, but ultimately regardless of their success they usually end up coming back to their comedic roots. Bateman at the moment seems to be searching for more out of his career. He's even gone as far as directing 'The Family Fang'. The sad thing is though, that if the films he appears in are as poor as this, he's never going to make it in the serious genres.I don't really know how to describe what's wrong with 'The Family Fang'. To put it bluntly, it's boring. It also comes across quite pretentious. It thinks it has all this amazing insight into art and life, but in reality nothing it's trying to say actually means anything when you give it a moments thought. Bateman, Nicole Kidman and Christopher Walken are all great actors, yet none of them exactly shine here. Walken comes the closest, but if you're familiar with his work then you'd know he's capable of much better than what he puts forward here.The only element of the film I mildly enjoyed was the mystery side of things. Other than that though it offered next to nothing. I'm told the novel which this is based on is actually quite funny, which surprised me because I didn't even come close to laughing once in this film, nor did it feel like they were ever trying to make me laugh. Altogether this a forgettable mess that I suspect the stars, and particularly Bateman, are glad almost no one will actually get around to seeing.

To all those "artistes" out there I will surely offend but to the common man who watches movies for some, just some redeeming value this is not a movie for you. Weak plot line, poor humor (certainly not a comedy as billed), the type of movie the pretentious "critics" will submit as Oscar material, when nothing could be further from the truth. A movie should entertain in some way shape or form. That "entertainment" can be measured by it's ability to move you emotionally in some way; cry, laugh, fear, anger, anxiety (suspense), etc. etc. If a movie can't move you emotionally in any direction to me it is not entertaining. This movie barely moves you to think. This movie fails in ALL categories. "Art" ... my foot!

Does art truly imitate life or is it the other way around? Two adult siblings trapped in career limbo, struggle to overcome the scars of their deeply dysfunctional childhood until they find themselves once again reunited with their eccentric, narcissistic and woefully unpredictable parents. The acting is good and the casting superb. This is an interesting different, thought provoking film that draws you in and doesn't let go that easily. It's the kind of film that you want to talk about after you've seen it. Excellent and disturbingly entertaining. Will definitely recommend.

"Our parents aren't missing. They are artists, this is all a performance." Baxter (Bateman) and Annie (Kidman) Baxter are brother and sister who have tried their best to put their past behind them. After Baxter is injured the hospital calls their parents. Growing up they were forced to be a part of performance art with their famous parents. When tempers flare and things are said the parents leave, and wind up missing and presumed dead. Not believing something happened to them for real the two siblings start to investigate. There are some movies that are good no matter who is in them, and there are some movies that are made better because of the cast. This is that kind of movie. The idea isn't all that original, but the cast of Bateman, Kidman and Walken really make the movie better than it is and makes it worth watching for that reason if nothing else. There are some pretty funny things in this, but I would call this more drama than comedy. Another dysfunctional family movie that is really missing something to make you connect to the characters, but the actors did all they could. Overall, a movie that isn't bad and is entertaining, but mainly due to the cast. I give this a B-.