Movie Review: The Heartbreak Kid by ME

Title: The Heartbreak Kid
Starring: Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Carlos Mencia, Robert Corddry
Directed By: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Produced By: John Davis, Joe Rosenberg, Marc S. Fischer
Genre: Comedy and Remake
Release Date: October 5th, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexual content, crude humor and language.
Distributors: DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures

The Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter, remake a relatively obscure move titled The Heartbreak Kid in which Ben Stiller plays Eddie Cantrow, an everyman who meets Lila (Malin Akeman). Six weeks later they are married and on their honeymoon in Cabo where Lila gets a horrible sunburn which allows Eddie to wander around, meet, and fall for, Miranda (Michelle Monaghan). Eddie neglects to tell Miranda that he is on his honeymoon and the hilarity ensues.

While There's Something About Mary pushed the comedic boundaries and became a classic, The Heartbreak Kid fails to capture that same quality that made Mary so good. At times The Heartbreak Kid is a standard, yet enjoyable romantic comedy. But, every once in a while an over the top Farrelly gag is tossed in and feels really out of place. It's almost as if the Farrelly's couldn't decide if they were making a mainstream movie or a “Farrelly brother's comedy”, and it really shows. The clincher that ultimately tipped this from being an “ok” movie into the realm of a bad movie was the ending. Let's just say that Eddie didn't learn from his experience.

Although this is a Ben Stiller movie, the real stand out was Michelle Monaghan, who you may remember from kiss kiss bang bang or MI3. She plays a fun loving, sports oriented woman who captures Eddies heart and would be the perfect wife. She just gives a great and believable performance in a film that is full of stereotypical characters. Stiller's Eddie is still the same old Ben Stiller, just a little older and grayer. The Farrelly's must not have been able to get Cameron Diaz for this one so they hired her clone, Malin Akeman, who acts, looks, and moves just like Cameron. Carlos Mencia pops in and proves that he can't act as Uncle Tito, the hotel employee who is helping Eddie juggle the two women. Jerry Stiller has his almost obligatory part as, of course, Eddie's father and is the second most crass character in the film.

Not quite up to par with “Mary”, The Heartbreak Kid is pretty much just another mediocre comedy that will be easily forgotten. The best way to describe it tone wise would be if you took the heart of 50 First Dates and edited in all the raunchy bits from There's Something About Mary and hoped that you could satisfy fans of both films.

Visit the site at http://www.heartbreakkidmovie.com/

Until The Heartbreak Kid: The Honeymoon's Over,
keep reading,

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com