Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a positive review from a critics screening of the new Jim Carrey comedy, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE. Up until now the word on the flick hasn't been very good, but the below spy really seemed to like the flick. Tea Leoni really grates on me, but I'm still gonna see this movie just for Carrey in his comic mode. Enjoy the review!
Hey there, I just got back from an test screening of Fun with Dick and Jane and thought you guys might like to hear my take on it. I have been a long time reader and love the site and I thought this would be a wonderful chance to contribute something to it. Anyway, down to business.
While on my way to seeing King Kong at the Loews theater in Lincoln Center in New York, me and my girlfriend were stopped outside and handed two free passes to an advance screening of Fun with Dick and Jane which was to be playing an hour later. Being already hyped to see Kong, I wasn't too interested in seeing Fun with Dick and Jane but figured, what the hell, and decided to go anyway. I've always been a huge fan of Jim Carrey since way back when I was a little kid and used to be obsessed with Ace Ventura. But even with that bias, the trailers for Fun with Dick and Jane didn't do much for me. It looked like a solid rental choice but nothing I would go out of my way and spend money to watch. Certaintly not worth skipping out on King Kong to go see. But none the less, I tried to keep an open mind and went anyway.
We where forced to sit in the first 2 rows because the rest was reserved for professional reviewers, so I already had a bad feeling about it. Just sitting in the front with my neck cranked back thinking I could be watching Kong right didn't help. Never mind the guy who sat a few rows back and laughed like a retarded dolphin or the couple in front who kept leaning back in their chairs to bang my knees. But despite all this, I was still adament on trying to enjoy this. And thankfully, I didn't have to try very hard at all.
The movie was fantastic and do not regret deciding to see it at all. Jim Carey is once again hilarious and does a great job of mixing his zany humor with a sense of seriousness that his character called for. He is definetly on top of his game in this and there was not a single joke he could not pull off or a moment that felt awkward. He basically nails every scene and I don't thjnk there are many other comedic actors out there who could have done it like this. The scene where he gets deported is particularly memorable. It is absolutely hysterical. Alec Baldwin, who I did not know was in this film is also just great. He is wonderful at playing Carrey's boss, an apathetic, money hungry corprate big wig who is most definetly based off Kenneth Lay. Tea Leoni plays Jane, Dick's wife and does an okay job. To be quite honest, I was expecting more from her. While her character is by no means horrible, something just didn't seem right about watching her play the part. She does have some good moments but there is just something a little off about the whole thing. It didn't distract from the movie at all though and it basically the only flaw I had. Anyway, off to the plot.
Dick and Jane Harper live the American dream. They are happilly married, have a wonderful kid, a big house, a dog, good jobs, house keeper... the whole shabang. Everything seems to be going fine and dandy until their lives turn from the American Dream, to the american nightmare. Dick works for Globodyne, a huge successful corporation not unlike Enron. On the turn of a dime, the entire company goes belly up, leaving him and its many employees with nothing, while the corporate heads, namely Alec Baldwin, get off scott free and actually end up profiting from the whole debaucle. Dick and Jane's lifes slowly go to ruin and there seems no hope in sight. They both try their best to keep the family as it once was, but to no avail. Their once perfect life is now a miserable mess and has spiraled out of control. With absolutely nothing to lose, Dick has a wonderful idea. If stealing worked for his boss, then why not give that a try. Dick and Jane then become all out crooks by knocking over as many places as they can and find that it is much easier than doing things the right way. Their lives go from rock bottom to better than before and all thanks to their newfound professions. I was expecting the movie to go the usual route of having them get arrested or realizing that what they are doing is wrong but it surprisingly did not. Without giving away the ending, I'll just say that Dick and Jane fight fire with fire and turn out doing alot more right than wrong.
Over all the movie is wonderful. Definetly worth seeing but it's not going to kill you to wait for it on DVD. But if you're in the mood for a nice light hearted comedy that will keep you attention and make you laugh, then give it a shot. The film is directed by Dean Parisot and I think he did a pretty good job. I have never really heard of him before but I'll say this one is a winner. But the real reason this movie is so good is definetly thanks to the screenplay. Judd Apatow does a fantastic job with this movie as he has done with his films in the past (40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, Freaks and Geeks). Like his past work, it is very funny but also has a bit of uniqueness to it and it nothing really like the other things he has done. Don't go in expecting something like Anchorman. It's closer to Bruce Almighty but much funnier. I am not too sure when this one comes out, but the version I saw looked to be complete. I think there could be a little more work on the editing but it's no big deal.
The Verdict: 8.6/10. If you're not busy seeing the million other awesome movies that come out this month, go and give this one a try. It may not be King Kong, but it's a fun little movie that will not dissapoint.
Anyway, this is the first review I have ever done and I hope I did a good job with it. If anyone cares, after I saw this I snuck into King Kong and loved the crap out of it. But thats a whole nother story. If you use this, call me Pookie.
Over and out.
