I am so horribly offended by I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and I hope that whatever defamation league that fights for a comedy’s right to be comedic comes out to protest this juggernaut of hackneyed material and predictability.
Adam Sandler and Kevin James, the ostensible stars of this film, deliver, perhaps, their most inspired performances, which is to say lackluster. They play lifelong pals who feign to be a homosexual couple in order to reap the legal benefits of domestic partnership for the children of the widowed Larry, played by James (don’t think I didn’t consider making a King of Queens joke, Mr. James).
But wait, just when you thought the plot could not get thicker (or gooier), these two numbskulls discover that their fraudulence is, shockingly, against the law. As a result, they are forced to seek legal aid from the mannequin-like Jessica Biel, and they must also appear to be a loving couple, as the city is on a witch hunt for faux gays. Did I mention that Chuck and Larry are Brooklyn firefighters? So, as you can imagine, being gay is, like, totally gross and awkward.
Sandler’s Chuck, a tried-and-true womanizer, is having some trouble with this setup. All he wants to do is get with chicks and, wait for it, it’s not long before he’s genuinely falling for Biel’s J.D.-clad character. Man, is this movie layered. What follows is utterly homophobic, simplistic, chock full of pedestrian jokes, and, worst of all, not really all that entertaining.
More than offended by the onslaught of unfunny, I’m disappointed. A lot of the names attached to this picture are not surprising. Sandler, James, and Biel are no-brainers, and bit parts from Rob Schneider—whose time would have been better spent triangulating the Deuce Bigelow trilogy—and David Spade are expected. Even the presence of Steve Buscemi—who managed to have a great little role in Sandler’s far superior Billy Madison—is not totally out of left field. I can’t help but think, however, that Buscemi’s more prestigious indie-movie projects aren’t quite paying the bills.
My heart was completely broken, though, in learning that Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, earning some cowriting credits, had a hand in making this thing. These two have successfully collaborated on a number of quality movies, including Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways. Had this been their first flop, I may have been more forgiving. Did you think I’d forgotten about Jurassic Park III, Alex and Jim?
D-
You’re correct, Sasha. I probably shouldn’t have watched this one, but there was no way for me to grasp the full extent of the film’s badness without first having viewed it.
Though Chuck and Larry was in theaters last summer, it’s brand new to HBO and this is how I watched it. I imagine there are others who managed to avoid having their brains pummeled by the film during its theatrical and DVD releases but might fall victim to its devious charms now that it has shown up on TV. So, it is my hope that this review can at least serve as a warning to those for whom Chuck and Larry will be new. Also, if the statute of limitations on bashing a movie with such little regard for quality is only one year long, then surely it can be extended in special cases like this.
That’s a real shame about Buscemi, indeed. If his situation worsens, maybe his friends will intervene.
Austin, Adam “Sandburg†Sandler’s performance in Punch-Drunk Love certainly was a job well done. But to say that one needs to “legitimately complain about his excellent performance in that film†in order to consider him a hack is going a bit far. A better exercise is to view Going Overboard, Little Nicky, or The Longest Yard and attempt to convincingly argue that there was any merit to Sandler’s performance. I think the saying “Even a broken clock is right twice a day†may apply here.
Yeah, no sensible person would have gone into this with any expectations at all. Also, you can’t call Adam Sandburg a hack unless you’ve seen _Punch-Drunk Love_ and can legitimately complain about his excellent performance in that film.
uhh,
why are you disappointed?
Why did you even watch this?
I’m confused why this was reviewed.. I mean, it’s old too.
Steve Buscemi??? that’s terrible he’d stoop to something like this.