When the “Jonas Brothers Family Roast” released on Netflix on Nov. 23, I had very high expectations for it. I was home for Thanksgiving break, so my family and I watched it all together. It is unfortunate to admit — considering I have been a Jonas Brothers’ fan since their start in 2005 (I was 5 years old) — that I was left feeling disappointed and unimpressed.
The roast was hosted by Kenan Thompson. Since Thompson has been a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” since 2003, I thought his performance as the host was going to be more than enjoyable. Although there was nothing specifically wrong, I was bored through most of the show and thought he could have brought more to the table.
The introduction to the roast, which consisted of a live audience, was a short film starring the Jonas Brothers. The film began with the group in their kitchen, continued into a fighting scene with the brothers dressed as Thor and ended with an appearance as their younger selves on the set of “Camp Rock” before transitioning to the roast itself. The “Camp Rock” clip was one of the highlights of the entire show and left me feeling nostalgic of my childhood.
The roast began with Thompson introducing Kevin, Joe and Nick, along with their wives, Danielle Jonas, Sophie Turner and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. A number of comedians starred in the show, including Lilly Singh, Jack Whitehall and Pete Davidson. The number one reason I would even consider recommending this roast to a friend is because of Pete Davidson’s appearance. Davidson never fails to make me laugh, making his first appearance as an extreme Jonas Brothers’ fan in the audience interrupting the show. He cracked jokes about the brothers being short, only listening to their music in the supermarket, Kevin being jealous of his brothers and more.
Another highlight of this roast was a guest appearance by John Legend. He wrote a comedic song that he played on the piano for the Jonas Brothers. The song consisted of digs at each brother and had a chorus roasting the brothers for being “not quite The Beatles.” I always find Legend’s voice to sound spectacular and, as both a Jonas Brothers and Beatles fan, I found this song particularly enjoyable.
Later on in the roast, each wife took a turn making jokes about their husbands. I had hoped the entire show that at least the wives’ parts would be funny, but I once again was left unimpressed. Chopra Jonas made jokes about being 10 years older and more successful than her husband, as well as poked fun at the fact that the only thing the couple has in common is that they are both obsessed with Nick Jonas. Turner’s performance was my favorite out of all of the wives. She roasted the brothers for wearing purity rings — something that used to be highlighted at the beginning of their career. She then made fun of Joe for sleeping with costars, his acting role on “Camp Rock 2” and finished her roast by telling her husband not to wait up because Pete Davidson had slipped her his phone number. Danielle’s performance was written on note cards and spoken by Thompson because she had lost her voice. Some of her highlight jokes were about people not knowing who Kevin is and the size of his…
The show ended with the brothers roasting one another. A lot of the same jokes were repeated numerous times, which I believe played a huge factor in why the roast felt boring to watch. Overall, it was nice to watch, considering it starred my childhood-favorite boy band, but I was disappointed by the level of entertainment it brought to the table. I would recommend watching this if you are a fan of the Jonas Brothers, but if you are simply looking for a comedy that will make you laugh, I am not sure this is the right thing to watch.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
