When I saw this on Netflix, I said "What? A movie starring Ben Stiller, which I don't recall?" Then as I began to watch it, I thought "Hmm, maybe I had seen it but forgot". 2003-2014 was for me a period through which I digested hundreds of such movies with then gf/wife, and I had a hard time computing how on earth this one could leave no trace.
Well, after seeing it today on Netflix, I do know how: This is not a remarkable movie by any stretch. That is, despite the comedic duo working like a charm. How come?
1) It's never a good idea to antagonize elderly women. Everyone has mothers. We love them. Yeah, I get the dark comedy aspect and all, but that same story structure could have worked with some other type of antagonist. An old Irish woman? Why? The humor to that is very limited. That crucial point has also dramatically narrowed down the choice for a striking actress for the part, I guess. Yeah, she was good in the role, but lacked in edgy qualities.
2) It's quite unclear how the couple decide to murder her. Okay, we can employ some suspension of disbelief, but the overall tone of the movie was not calibrated to what made Throw Mamma From The Train or Home Alone. And, NO, the tenant's behavior was not murder-triggeringly evil.
3) The best scenes were how fast the plan with the gun went awry and how the woman doctor checked Stiller's nuts in the hospital right after. I did kinda laugh out loud in those moments. I just wish the whole outlook of the movie could have been so fresh and unexpectedly funny.
4) There's a punchline at the end. Thankfully. Because otherwise, this would have sucked big time. But does the gotcha save the movie? Not really. Also because, the prelude to that gotcha didn't make any sense at all. Why make the couple believe something which, at that point, will not make a difference? No spoilers. Watch it if you have the time.
Overall: Yeah, I'm not lamenting. This was one acceptable dark-ish humor from New York. Drew Berrymore was sweet. Ben Stiller was talented and to the point as usual. But will I ever need to watch it? Guess not. Come to think of it, I must have seen it about two decades ago, at a time through which I digested hundreds of such movies with then gf/wife, but it must have vanished from memory.
This is no There Is Something About Mary or Dodgeball or anything like that. It's about the old tenent in a duplex after all.
Well, after seeing it today on Netflix, I do know how: This is not a remarkable movie by any stretch. That is, despite the comedic duo working like a charm. How come?
1) It's never a good idea to antagonize elderly women. Everyone has mothers. We love them. Yeah, I get the dark comedy aspect and all, but that same story structure could have worked with some other type of antagonist. An old Irish woman? Why? The humor to that is very limited. That crucial point has also dramatically narrowed down the choice for a striking actress for the part, I guess. Yeah, she was good in the role, but lacked in edgy qualities.
2) It's quite unclear how the couple decide to murder her. Okay, we can employ some suspension of disbelief, but the overall tone of the movie was not calibrated to what made Throw Mamma From The Train or Home Alone. And, NO, the tenant's behavior was not murder-triggeringly evil.
3) The best scenes were how fast the plan with the gun went awry and how the woman doctor checked Stiller's nuts in the hospital right after. I did kinda laugh out loud in those moments. I just wish the whole outlook of the movie could have been so fresh and unexpectedly funny.
4) There's a punchline at the end. Thankfully. Because otherwise, this would have sucked big time. But does the gotcha save the movie? Not really. Also because, the prelude to that gotcha didn't make any sense at all. Why make the couple believe something which, at that point, will not make a difference? No spoilers. Watch it if you have the time.
Overall: Yeah, I'm not lamenting. This was one acceptable dark-ish humor from New York. Drew Berrymore was sweet. Ben Stiller was talented and to the point as usual. But will I ever need to watch it? Guess not. Come to think of it, I must have seen it about two decades ago, at a time through which I digested hundreds of such movies with then gf/wife, but it must have vanished from memory.
This is no There Is Something About Mary or Dodgeball or anything like that. It's about the old tenent in a duplex after all.