THE ROCK OBAMA: This is a silly sketch that rests on the physical comedy by Dwayne Johnson and Leslie Jones, and it’s without a doubt fun to watch. Also, people like Ted Cotton, John Boehner, and Ted Cruz getting various body parts torn off is always going to be great. GRADE: B+
MONOLOGUE: I’m usually not a fan of singing monologues, and I’m pretty ambivalent about this one. It’s an alright song, I guess, and it’s a little bit better than the lazy “taking questions from the audience” monologue. I have to say, though, the Stephen Hawking voice bit is pretty funny, and you can tell The Rock is having a lot of fun. “Another Smurf movie?” “No.” GRADE: B
#GENDERFLECT: “Anyway, your car is totaled.” This isn’t a perfect sketch, but it still finds quite a few jokes in its premise, which, by the way, is certainly excellent. It doesn’t tackle the subject as well as it could have, but it’s still funny. Kate McKinnon looks good with brown hair. GRADE: B
WRESTLEMANIA PROMO: Okay, putting Bobby Moynihan in a leotard is a fantastic idea. Aside from that, The Rock absolutely kills it here, and as he’s going on about Moynihan’s personal life, it all just escalates until it becomes a truly awesome sketch. I was expecting a WWE sketch, and this was the best possible one. GRADE: A-
BAMBI: This is a hilarious Furious 7 parody we get here, and the reveal of Bambi is the perfect set-up joke to a great fake trailer. Taran Killam’s Vin Diesel is entertaining, the butterfly bit is a fun little moment, and the image of Bambi shooting up a bunch of baddies is already funny in and of itself. GRADE: A-
ANNIVERSARY: Cecily Strong is her usual endearing self in this one, and her “Bananas” song is perhaps the highlight of the sketch. In addition, the whole bit about the onion rings is well played by all involved, and Dwayne Johnson is once again great. He’s very talented live, as to be expected. GRADE: B+
ESCAPE FROM JUNGLE ISLAND: First off, Kate McKinnon’s reactions carry the majority of the sketch, and it’s also very entertaining to see The Rock clearly shoving the dart in his ass. And of course, that final moment between him and Pete Davidson is pretty damn hilarious. You can see it coming as the sketch progresses, but it’s still a great way to end. GRADE: A-
BROGAINE: “You chanted the n-word in a viral video.” The Bennett-Mooney stuff has been weak lately, and while this one isn’t completely a return to form, it still provides for some funny moments (like the one quoted earlier). GRADE: B-
WEEKEND UPDATE: “The Mexicans have a good farm system.” Well, this might just be the best episode of the season thus far. Even Weekend Update is on point this week, and Colin Jost’s The Jinx segment is a highlight. We also get an OJ joke, Kate McKinnon back as Olya, and Kenan Thompson as Willie. The “hit the brakes, Willie!” joke is dark, but brilliant. GRADE: B+
COOKING WITH PAUL: Okay, this is the perfect sketch to throw in a “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?”, but alas, we don’t get it. It’s a bit weaker than the rest of the episode, but it still does have a fine dark premise to get it going. Thompson’s “potatoes” pronunciation is the funniest moment of the sketch. GRADE: B-
IMPROV: Interesting that Johnson’s not in this sketch, but Kate McKinnon’s Robert Durst impression more than makes up for it. The improv stuff doesn’t really lead to many laughs; it’s all McKinnon here, although I wish the sketch could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. It doesn’t really lead anywhere. GRADE: B-
GEORGE EZRA: I’m pretty sure that the first thing we all thought was: “This voice for this guy?” GRADE: B+
INTERROGATION: “His snacks are the BEST!” The sketch feels unfinished, but it’s definitely a fun set-up that features an entertaining Johnson performance. The funniest parts: anytime he references Jeff. GRADE: B
THE CIRCUS WITH KYLE: Mooney’s awkward interviewer is always enjoyable to watch, and this sketch is no exception. I probably have more to say on the sketch, but I’ll just end it here because next week…
Michael Keaton! I love this guy. He’s so damn cool, and he’ll definitely do great.
Photo credit: NBC, Saturday Night Live
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At this point, I’m pretty sure The Rock could make just about anything fantastic by merely being associated with it. And on top of that, Boehner and Cruz get mauled. How could anybody go wrong?
Wow, who needs to watch TV when I’ve got you?
I’m a fan of The Rock/Dwayne Johnson.. have been since the 1st time he hosted this show and played the gay bartender.. I loved his opening..and a lot of the sketches.. it did get a little weak for me at the end.. otherwise.. I j’adore him! 🙂
“Smart” movie, Not “Smurf” movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425061/ I dont want to spoiler so watch movie, and that joke will be even funnier 😀