(Review originally written at 8 August 2006)
Basically this is a watchable enough movie that however as a comedy is too lacking in humor and it suffers from some poor character treatment.
It's by no means an horrible movie but it's one of those movies that make you wonder why it was made in the first place. The movie as a whole makes a pointless and redundant impression, especially when considering that this is a remake as well, of a 1950, multiple Oscar nominated, movie.
It's not a comedy with over-the-top humor or characters are comical situations. Instead its humor is more subtle with as a result that this movie doesn't provide one big laugh. The humor lacks some real creativity, even though the actors try really hard to make the humor still work.
Without the fine actors the movie really would had been a lesser one. John Goodman, Melanie Griffith, Don Johnson and Fred Dalton Thompson are all fine actors. They still give the movie some flair and joy. However their characters don't really work out as good as they could had been.
Griffith's and Johnson's roles are too blank and boring. Almost as if they were holding back. John Goodman's character is a hard one to understand. It's unclear whether the movie makers wanted to make him look sympathetic or like a ruthless hard corrupt business man. You don't know if you're supposed to like or hate him, which also does provide the movie with some uneven moments. Some serious poor character treatment if you ask me.
But despite all its flaws, this movie still remains a perfectly watchable one. After all it's not a movie that will bore you to death or will make you cringe. However it's also a movie that you can easily do without seeing it.
5/10
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