DEATH AT A FUNERAL
CAROLINE: The new movie, Death at a Funeral, is a remake of a hilarious 2007 British film, which I rented a couple of years ago and loved. This one, not so much. I’m a little offended that they even did a remake so soon. It’s feels very American and gauche.
RYAN: I’ve only seen parts of the British original, and found it funny. I just don’t see the need for an American version, frankly.
CAROLINE: Especially because the original wasn’t a foreign language film; it was in English! I guess I have to get over it, because Chris Rock went ahead and had it remade.
RYAN: It’s kind of comparable to the making of The Wiz based on The Wizard of Oz, minus the British-ness.
CAROLINE: The premise and the plot are very similar, almost identical, to the original, though they had to Americanize some of the expressions and dialogue. Honestly, I was kind of dreading seeing this movie; but it had some funny moments. I laughed out loud a few times. And it’s got a great cast.
RYAN: I wasn’t at the screening with you because I went to see Kick-Ass, which we’ll review tomorrow. Can’t say I’m sorry I missed it, but I do like a lot of the cast. How was Tracy Morgan?
CAROLINE: He’s funny, but he wasn’t the funniest one in the movie. It’s such a big ensemble, and he was not the lead role. That would be Chris Rock, who really should stick to stand-up comedy. The man is not actor.
RYAN: Yeah, we’ve seen him in a couple other movies and he’s stiff and awkward. He hasn’t really made that transaction into acting like some other comics have.
CAROLINE: It’s hard to do, and you can tell he’s trying his best. But he just didn’t cut it for me, though he does have some funny lines. It’s also got Danny Glover, Martin Lawrence and a very puffy Luke Wilson.
RYAN: Nice to see him doing something other than AT&T commercials.
CAROLINE: But one of the biggest scene stealers for me was James Marsden, who plays Zoë Saldaña’s boyfriend. He is hilarious, and the audience was screaming with laughter at him.
RYAN: I find him incredibly hot.
CAROLINE: He’s a little chiseled for me, but his body is rockin’. And you get to see a lot of it.
RYAN: How was Zoë S.?
CAROLINE: She’s so skinny; I just want to make her a roast beef sandwich. She’s fine, but she doesn’t have a huge part either. The only crossover casting from the original is Peter Dinklage, who plays a pivotal role. He’s funny in both versions. But about halfway through, there’s an extended poop joke segment that just went way over the top for me. They audience was screaming but I couldn’t even crack a smile.
RYAN: Ick. What is this for 13-year-old boys all of a sudden? Poop jokes are my least favorite attempt at humor.
CAROLINE: I was so chagrined and unimpressed. Meanwhile, it’s directed by Neil LaBute, who we know from quirky movies like Your Friends and Neighbors and In the Company of Men. A straight-up comedy is a departure for him.
RYAN: We also enjoyed his Lakeview Terrace with Kerry Washington and Patrick Wilson.
CAROLINE: One thing I didn’t like at all was that the story and editing is very choppy. There are so many characters and story lines to follow, that sometimes they spend literally 10 seconds on one, and then jump to the next. My head was spinning.
RYAN: That’s very irritating.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: Given that I was expecting total crap, I’d say it’s a fine enough movie. It definitely made me laugh, but it also had lame moments too. It’s much more madcap and less dryly funny than the British original. There’s something so funny about uptight British people in a farcical situation, and that was lost here.
RYAN: British accents make the humor seem more sophisticated.
CAROLINE: I just don’t think this movie needed to be remade. It’s definitely not a must see in the theater.
— RATING —