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Sibling Ribaldry

Right in time for the holidays, the Fey/Poehler gift for comedy arrives in "Sisters". Too bad it's more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho.

Kate Ellis (Tina Fey) is an Atlanta beautician but a hot mess, recently fired, presently evicted, and a constant source of worry for her daughter Haley (Madison Davenport). Maura Ellis (Amy Poehler) is a nurse and by appearances the more stable sister. They both return to the house of parents Deanna (Dianne Wiest) and Bucky (James Brolin) to clean out their old room before the house is sold.

They do not clean out their old room, preserved in all its adolescent glory. With their parents away in a new condo, the sisters throw a wild party to sabotage the sale of the house. Trashing a house is a ritual of cinema, if not of adolescence, and in keeping with the movie's nostalgia, viewers may be reminded of "Risky Business" or "Bachelor Party".

Like any party, its success depends on the guests as much as the hosts. We're in good hands with co-hosts Fey and Poehler. Guests (which are mostly Kate and Maura's old high school friends) include familiar SNL faces Maya Rudolph (Brinda), Rachel Dratch (Kelly), Bobby Moynihan (Alex), and Kate McKinnon (Sam). There's also drug dealing Pazuzu (John Cena), creepy Dave (John Leguizamo), Maura's handyman love-interest James (Ike Barinholtz), and scene-stealing manicurist Hae-Won (Greta Lee).

Those hoping for the Fey and Poehler brand of smart-funny displayed in "30 Rock" and "Parks and Recreation" will be disappointed. Written by SNL writer Paula Pell, "Sisters" has some crudely inspired flashes, but mostly stays closer to the big-drawing-of-a-penis level of humor, which is a running gag (ahem).

Though two of the brightest comedic lights with undeniable chemistry, Fey and Poehler using only a fraction of their wattage makes "Sisters" a dimly lit party. Directed by Jason Moore, the funniest thing about "Sisters" is that it's not funnier.