The Players: (in front of and behind).
Writing (story):
Peter Tolan: Very much a good player behind the cameras.. He’s responsible for some GOOD movies.. For example, its not great.. But I still enjoyed Analyze This! He also penned the upcoming sequel. As well as Ramis’ Bedazzled remake.. c’mon.. DAMN Hurley looked good.. but poor Fraser seemed awash at sea. The Denis Leary series The Job, and the simply brilliant Larry Sanders Show, as well as the Garry Shandling dud What Planet Are you From?
Matrin Hynes: Really.. Hynes has ONE other credit in writing.. “The Big Split”. His own 1999 trifecta writer/director/star.. I haven’t seen it, but known to alot of us geeks as George in “George Lucas in Love” if you haven’t seen it.. DOWNALOD IT.. STEAL IT, or just buy the dvd.. it is a fun lil Star Wars companion spoof.
Director: Bruce McCullough.. he is more at ease in front of the camera, but this marks his 4th film project in directing.. Better known as one of the “Kids in the Hall”, he also directed the SNL effort “Superstar” as well as appearning in a very small role towards the end of the film.
Da Stars:
Jason Lee: Enough said.. well not really.. there are REALLY two Jason Lees.. the one who CAN act, usually seen in films where directors who can use him effectively cast him, ex. Kasdan, Smith, Crow. and then.. in those middling films.. for example he’s about the only memorable thing in Tony Scott’s Enemy of the State (but Crimson Tide and True Romance ROCK!).
Tom Green: My personal opinion.. When he’s tightened on a leash.. Green can be damn funny.. without going way over board.. more Road Trip, less Freddy Got Fingered. He always has seemed amost a more Howard Sternish figure.. with no real funny usage.. and is rarely utilized in.. any sane fasihion.
Denis Farina: I know.. he’s NOT advertised.. but you have to give Mr. Barbone his respect.. a very tough as nails character actor always seen as the tough guy.. Generally a mobster.. or a cop.. Little known fact (to people my age mid 20s) Farina originated the role of Jack Crawford in Manhunter based on Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon, not being remade with I believe Harvey Keitel in the role. while Scott Glenn played him in Silence of the Lambs.
Leslie Mann: aka “Boobie tassels” from Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy.. she also appeared in Orange County, She’s The One, The Cable Guy among others.
Megan Mullally: Best known, almost only, for her role of Karen on NBC’s Will and Grace.. she goes quite another route here.
Also.. Chris Penn: He’s made quite a role for himself outside of bro Sean’s shadow in films like Rush Hour, Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, and Altman’s Shortcuts (very surprising role in that film). Usually cast as the mobster heavy.. and this film does nothing to change it..
ONTO THE MOVIE:
The film opens and actually has a LONG and LONGER amounts of voice over.. sometimes a voice over can improve a movie.. and sometimes it seems a cheap gimmick.. as the film does starting off with a riff on fate… The camera work reminded me much of the fast forward stop technique used in Ramis’ Bedazzled remake.. it nauseated me before, and then. The story though is told in a back story.. but sadly you can figure HOW the film will end about half way through.. if you remeber the opening..
But.. John Plummer (Lee) has a rather boring life. He works in a hospital supply store.. has a girlfriend (Mann) and has to deal with his boss/over bearing soon to be father in law (Farina). But.. things are looking up as John has finally saved enough money (30,000) to be secure enough to take the next step with his rather quirky fiance whose job is to make gift baskets.
BUT.. of course, all could not be so simple. When called to his sisters home (Mullaly) he sees his niece going to school… she only needs a little bit of money to pay for her college education, only about 28,000. Where the 30,000 he has is earmarked for marriage and a down payment on a future home… then.. reminded of a promise he made.
So.. what to do? of course.. meet with your hard working, and drinking friend, Duff (Duff) who runs his own business. What ensuses are several attempts by Duff and John to get the dough. From home invasion, knocking over a store.. and alot more.. of course all go horribly awry.and hilarity ensues or it should..
Don’t get me wrong.. there are some FUNNY as hell lines.. and even some really good sight gags.. but the movie is only SO SO.. Sadly, its not really the showcase for either Lee, or Green, who make NO mistake about it.. Tom Green is the second fiddle in this picture NOT Lee.. Lee is in almost if not, EVERY single scene of the film while the character of Duff is slowly brought into the picture.
some of the good gags are ruined in the commercials.. kind of.. Of course the good thing here.. when I THOUGHT I knew the gag, there was a bit more to it.. so luckily while most of the gag has been ruined, not all of it has.
The real problem aside from the protracted voice overs though comes from the movies length.. I suppose its as long as it needs to be, its not really a DRAMA film.. but clocking in at just about 80 minutes… (The screening began at 7:30, we walked out at 8:50), The film feels rushed and rather middling on the more serious vs. the comedy aspects.
Sadly.. alot of the time alot of the actors seemed to have no real idea what they were doing, especially Mann and Farina.. they just seemed very out of their elements here.. Where as poor Chris Penn has a nothing part really.. and John C. McGinley is given a role even WORSE than his dick cop in The Animal. Seymour Cassell does have a funny cameo in the film later on as Barry’s odd uncle..
make no mistake.. the film hits it marks mostly with just quick lines.. and there is some but not an extreme amount of physical comedy in the film. It was a good try, but sadly the film just never really gets far off the gruond.. but it’ll make you laugh for about an hour.. but when you walk out of the theater, you really won’t have much else to say about it. To me there was, sadly, nothing particularly memorable in the characters.. and I think with some better writing the idea could have been funnier.
As it stands.. check out the film. if you’re a Lee fan.. you can’t be stopped.. if you’re a Green fan.. well don’t go in expecting his unrestrained Freddy Got Fingered role.. his role is a bit odd and wacked out but more like the character of Barry in Road Trip. Green and Lee do work well together.. and the film is a fun afternoon matinee but I hate to say it.. if you’re spending 8 bucks on it.. you’ll be plenty pissed.. its cute, but in the end.. way too predictible…maybe that’s good comedy.. but, I think its just lazy writing.
Sorry for the news.. but.. of course Lee has nothing to worry about…Fletch in 2004!
