Hell Baby Directed by: Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon Starring: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Key Rating: R Release Date: September 6, 2013 (VOD available now)
Trailer Score: 5/10
Thoughts by TSR: I love nearly every person who makes an appearance in this trailer. Rob Corddry, Rob Huebel, Keegan Michael Key, Kumail Nanjiani, and Thomas Lennon are the types of people who often steal the show. That’s why it hurts to report that this red band trailer for Hell Baby didn’t do much for me. It certainly earns its red band designation – there is plenty of swearing, drugs, and boobs to go around – but very little of it even managed to make me crack a smile.
One moment that I thought worked was Keegan Michael Key’s character going on about how recently someone was murdered in the house. Key – who along with Jordan Peele stars on “Key & Peele,” arguably the funniest sketch comedy show currently on television – can make me laugh no matter what. The same goes for Nanjiani. Whether it’s on “Portlandia,” “Adventure Time,” or in this trailer, the way he delivers every line makes me smile. Those are fleeting things, though. Leslie Bibb having a demon baby growing inside her isn’t inherently funny, and nothing in the trailer makes me think differently. The moment where Corddry is pulled under the bed and comes out to find Bibb levitating seems straight out of any poorly done horror movie parody. The names involved are enough to keep a little hope alive. Unfortunately, with this being red band I suspect it’s a pretty accurate depiction of what we can expect from the full film. So even though it is currently available on demand, I’m not in any hurry to check it out.