The Whole Ten Yards
The Whole Ten Yards Review Formula = Bruce, you were never funny! + (The Whole Nine Yards - anything redeeming)
The Whole Ten Yards is a comedy sequel to the 2000 box office hit, The Whole Nine Yards. The movie's got the entire cast returning from the original, which is worth a lot as far as sequels go.
Bruce Willis stars as an embarrassingly housebroken former mobster, Jimmy 'The Tulip' who has steered clear from a life of crime. The ordinary life away from the underworld for the former 'most notorious figure in the history of American crime' would be a life of dining, a life of luxury, a life of opulence. But no, The Whole Ten Yards is a comedy, and the only way to make Bruce Willis funny is to dress him up in bunny slippers and make him ultra-domestic. News flash: it's still not funny. The contrast of John McLean meets Martha Stewart is no more amusing than a pregnant Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior. It didn't work in that movie and it did not work for this The Whole Ten Yards review.
In The Whole Nine Yards, Kevin Pollak's character, Janni Gogolak was murdered by Jimmy 'The Tulip.' For The Whole Ten Yards, Pollak makes a return as Lazlo Gogolak, the mob boss father of deceased Janni. Pollak does not work well as a mob boss, or, more appropriately, a spoof of a mob boss. His character is incredibly irritating and distantly reminiscent of Mel Brooks's Yoda in Spaceballs with black, thick rimmed glasses like Uncle Junior Sopranno of the Soprannos. Lazlo kidnaps the wife of dentist 'Oz' Oseransky, played by Matthew Perry in a plot to lead Lazlo to homemaker Jimmy 'The Tulip' and his wife, played by Amanda Peet. It works, and Jimmy and 'Oz' try to dodge Lazlo while 'Oz' manages to do nothing but aggravate Jimmy (and me) as Jimmy returns to his hitman roots.
The Whole Ten Yards is filled with poor attempts at one-line humor and overplayed, annoying characters. Some expect Bruce Willis and ex-Friend Matthew Perry have the star power to carry The Whole Ten Yards, but after seeing this movie, both actors will leave you dreaming of their better days.
The Whole Ten Yards is directed by Howard Deutch, while the original was done by Jonathan Lynn.
The Whole Ten Yards Review, Trailer & Snapshot
Starring: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge
Directed by: Howard Deutch
Release Date: 4/9/2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13
See The Whole Ten Yards trailer here
This entry is filed in Action, Comedy.« The Alamo | Johnson Family Vacation »
