…And I thought that Bringing Down the House
survived solely because of the power of its two leads! Well,
here come Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas, the two men who
are able to hold The In-Laws together more
successfully than Steve Martin and Queen Latifah were with
their movie. This film, in particular, showcases two veteran
stars, who are able to turn bad material into a stupendously
enjoyable movie-going experience.
The In-Laws is the new remake of one of the best
comedies in the seventies. Taking the places of the original
stars, Alan Arkin and Peter Falk, are the equally funny
Douglas and Brooks. This version of The In-Laws
may not be constantly laugh-out-loud funny, but it does offer
an extremely enjoyable and rather pleasant trip to the local
theatre. I sat in my seat and grinned at the two stars, having
as much fun as they looked like they did, making the flick.
If the
plot of The In-Laws had been used in any other
movie, I would’ve been beating myself over the head while
watching it unravel. But this film is, in fact, is amusing
because of its craziness. Most of the laughs found in it are
not from actual jokes with punch-lines, they’re from the
silliness of the story, and events that take place in it.
The In-Laws will definitely be a good buy when
it’s on DVD because it’s got a type of comedy that never
tires, no matter how many times you watch it; good comedy.
Who
makes it such a great comedy? The two stars—Douglas and
Brooks. The two, as a pair, are one of the most hilarious
combinations ever put on film together. Brooks is tremendously
inventive and downright hilarious as the phobic and
overprotective, control-freak father, scared to let his
daughter marry into a family of nutcases—Jerry Peyser.
Douglas
is also fabulous as Steve Tobias, the crazy secret agent, who
Jerry is about to become brother in-law to. Once their son and
daughter, Mark (Ryan Reynolds) and Melissa (Lindsay Sloane),
marry—these two will be stuck with each other. Douglas and
Brooks hilariously entertain the audience with the neurotic
feelings that come before Jerry and the care-free attitude of
Steve.
The two
leads in the film aren’t the only guys who are funny, though.
Ryan Reynolds’s performance is also very enjoyable to view.
Reynolds, who has made his fair share of bad movies (Van
Wilder and such), has finally found a role that does his
comedic abilities justice. I laughed at the several quirky
defects, for lack of a better term, of his characters
personality. I hope he finds characters, just as decent as
Mark Tobias in The In-Laws, to play in the
future. Reynolds has talent, but needs to put it to use, in
other films like this one.
The In-Laws offers an excellent time at the
movies, that’s definitely worth the price of a ticket. Brooks
and Douglas hold it together, with flying colors, and the help
of a well-written screenplay. It will be a great buy (or
rental) when it’s out on video, as well, because the jokes in
it never tire. The In-Laws was never painful for
me to watch, and constantly shows us a good time, unlike the
other release the weekend that goes by the name of
Bruce Almighty. To quote the old saying, “Sit back, relax,
and enjoy the show,” is only appropriate. The In-Laws
won’t disappoint.
-Danny,
Bucket Reviews