'The Out-Laws' review: Tired formula dooms Netflix action comedy

WHAT IT'S ABOUT If the idea of an action comedy in which the in-laws are outlaws really tickles that funny bone, put down that newspaper, click away from this review, and fire up that Netflix account right now.

"The Out-Laws," get it, stars Adam DeVine ("Pitch Perfect") as Owen, a bank manager who lives a happy suburban life with his fiancee Parker (Nina Dobrev, "The Vampire Diaries"). There's just one catch: He's never met the in-laws. 

Lo and behold, days before the wedding, Parker's parents Billy (Pierce Brosnan) and Lilly (Ellen Barkin) McDermott materialize. Something's clearly up with these two. Wonder what it could be?

Their first meeting with Owen goes badly; they sneak into the house and surprise their, uh, excessively neurotic future son-in-law with a body slam. The next day, they take Owen skydiving, to a tattoo parlor and then get him drunk. The morning after that, two people in full-body disguises rob Owen's bank.

Co-stars include Richard Kind as Owen's dad, Julie Hagerty as his mom, Michael Rooker as the FBI agent on the trail of the McDermotts and more. "The Out-Laws" is directed by Tyler Spindel and emanates from Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company.

MY SAY Look, there's nothing wrong with entering a movie with lowered expectations. No one would take a chance on "The Out-Laws" with the expectation that it might be the second coming of "The Godfather."

But audiences should be owed more than a single joke, repeated ad nauseam, until the credits roll.

The joke here goes something like this: Owen is a big, blubbering wimp. His in-laws are cool, calm, collected, highly trained, you name it. He's intimidated to the point where he can barely function. They can't believe their daughter would ever consider marrying this guy. There's mutual suspicion if not outright contempt, especially after that bank robbery. But they've got to spend a lot of time together. Parker seems most interested in yoga.

Will Owen learn to live on the edge, thanks to the McDermotts? Will they sweep him up into their criminal shenanigans? Does the sun rise in the east? Are there sharks in the ocean?

It's inane, it's not funny, and at certain points it seems as if the filmmakers gave up on any pretense of applying any logic to any of it. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but treating the audience as if it hasn't got a brain to be found is something else.

The one saving grace can be found in the casting of the parents. Brosnan and Barkin get the chance to show off their comic chops, which have been underutilized throughout their accomplished careers. Kind really, really plays up the neurotic schlub thing. His presence in anything guarantees there's some merit to it. Hagerty remains an underrated stalwart.

But even they cannot compensate for the malaise that underpins it all, a tired formula wheezing its way through obligatory storytelling beats before dissipating into the abyss, yet another movie to scroll past on that queue.

BOTTOM LINE Everything you need to know about this movie can be gleaned from its title. That's rarely a good sign.