Fun with Dick and Jane  

Review: written 2006

Occasionally laugh out loud, but disappointingly satire free

This movie turns out to raise a few chuckles, and make you wince at a few scenes of familiarity when couple go through hard time financially -and makes you feel satisfied the bad guy gets his come uppance. Does that not make it a success? Well, yes and no -for the material and the participants could and should have made it much more. The original was not a softie movie, it was bitingly satirical, and this movie could have been too.

Likewise, while Tea Leoni is as good as always, Carrey over eggs the pudding a little - someone playing the role straighter would have got more laughs. This is, after all, funny only when we can see something we can relate to. Having said that, he still has his physical comedy touch and can fall around funnier than anyone else - this just should have been a better movie than that.

Kudos should go to Richard Jenkins (Who plays the deceased father in the tv show 'Six Feet Under'), as the former executive who both contributes to our couples initial downfall and helps them on their subsequent redemption.

All in all, this is a success as a forgettable comedy to while away a quick one and a half hours - it made me laugh. If you are looking for a little more satire or anything deeper, then look elsewhere.