ACED Magazine

Rated: R
Starring: Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia
Directed by: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly

The Farrelly Brothers and Ben Stiller re-unite in a re-make of the 1972 Neil Simon comedy The Heartbreak Kid. Stiller stars as Eddie Cantrow, a 40 year-old man who is still single to the chagrin of his father Doc (Jerry Stiller), and his best friend Mac (Corddry).

In a chance encounter, he meets Lyla (Akerman), a beautiful and intelligent environmentalist who he falls in love with and quickly marries. It does not take long for Eddie to regret his decision when Lyla"s true personality as a kinky, nagging, idiotic and un-employed loon comes to the forefront. During his hellish honeymoon, Eddie meets Miranda (Monaghan) and falls for her charms. Now he must figure out a way to dump his wife, and start a new life with Miranda.

The Farrelly Brothers have proven themselves to be filmmakers who have not matured with age or experience. Nothing has been added to their craft, as the same stock standard gags featuring eccentric characters participating in crude, gross-out humor does little more than raise a few chuckles in what is an otherwise boring film.

Ben Stiller is on autopilot with his awkward guy shtick, and his father Jerry Stiller tests the barriers of good taste with his vulgar tirades. However, the film gains momentum when Malin Akerman is on screen as the nutty wife. All of the film's best comedic moments come from her performance, with Akerman doing a great job establishing sympathy for Stiller’s frightened and frustrated newlywed.

It seems the best thing in The Heartbreak Kid is the breathtaking Cabo, Mexico shooting location used in the majority of the film. Unfortunately, the Farrellys must have thought the same thing and were having too much fun in the sun instead of creating an entertaining comedy. With over $110 million made worldwide, I guess there are some who thought this would be just as good as There’s Something About Mary. Sadly, it’s not even close.

This Reviewer's Rating: 2.5 / 5

SPECIAL FEATURES

Included is a not-too-shabby collection of extra material. Along with the obligatory audio commentary, deleted scenes, gag reel and trailers, there are three satisfactory featurettes. The first is “The Farrelly Brothers in the French Tradition”, which looks at their history, influences and work habits; second is “Ben & Jerry”, which focuses on the working relationship between the father and son duo; and third is “The Egg Toss”, an on-set game played by cast and crew that proves – if anything – that working on a Farrelly Brothers movie would be a fun experience.

This Reviewer's Rating: 3 / 5

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