The Fabulous Four (2024)

The Fabulous Four kicks off with a lie about a raffle and a polydactyl cat, and that lie is the sharpest writing in it. Kitty and Alice, played by Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally, want their old crew together for Marilyn’s wedding in Key West. Problem: Marilyn, played by Bette Midler, once eloped with the boyfriend of Lou, played by Susan Sarandon, and Lou has not forgiven her. So they lure Lou down with a made-up prize from the Hemingway House. From there it’s a checklist of vacation mishaps: a parasailing trip that goes sideways, a dress fitting that turns into a fight, a charming stranger with a bike. The four stars are warm and clearly having fun, and when they sing, Michael Bolton duet included, the movie briefly works. The characters barely exist on the page, and the jokes are silly without being funny. It holds a 28% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 3.7 because four legends deserved a real script. $93.91 says you finish it wishing these four had just started a podcast instead.

What works: Sarandon, Midler, Mullally and Ralph bring real warmth and charisma, and the sing-along moments, including the Michael Bolton duet, are lovely.

What doesn’t: The characters are badly underwritten, and the plot runs on silly vacation antics that rarely earn a laugh.

Who it’s for: Longtime fans of these four stars who just want to hang out with them for an hour and a half.