One of the best ideas for a comedy in recent years doesn’t quite have the execution to match, though much of it is terrific. Certainly all the characters would seem to be there: fading action star, Russell Crowe type method actor, P Diddy style rap mogul, Chris Farley-esque comedian, sly agent, vicious mogul, etc etc. So many with such potential that it feels vaguely dissatisfying; you kept wanting to know more, whether a bit more about Ben Stiller’s background, or Robert Downey Jnr’s, or to have Jack Black given a bit more that relates to the story, or a bit more work on the Nick Nolte story. Maybe a bit less screentime given to that young kid – or deeper characterisation or something.
The film has a great look – lush green jungle, explosives – and the action scenes are done with flair (though the choreography can be a bit wonky). The acting is fine across the board; Tom Cruise is a lot of fun (perhaps his dancing at the end isn’t quite as funny to deserve this amount of screen time it’s given) but Matthew Mahoganey’s usual grinning idiot isn’t as good as Owen Wilson would have been. Downey Jnr is brilliant in a dicey role.
Some of the making-fun-of-the-retarded people is funny (esp the “don’t go full retard if you want to win an Oscar) – but there’s a moment between Stiller and Downey Jnr where they come up with slang terms for the mentally ill perhaps a bit too much. And every Asian character in the film is a dumb, vicious killer.
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