Movie Review: "Death at a Funeral"

Thank God I got paid to watch this movie as opposed to having to pay for it. What a crap heap. If you read my dissection of this trailer you know how I feel about the fact that this movie was even made. This movie did nothing less than steal a great idea because the people behind it (Chris Rock) couldn't think of any decent ideas of their own. Now I thought maybe this version would stray a bit from the original. You know, attempt to jazz it up or make it more American or something, which would have been a terrible travesty to being with. What they did something even lower. They just basically made the exact same movie with different actors. They didn't even try to adapt it to their own humor or audience. Maybe they knew that would have failed and so they tried to completely steal the other version. In the end they failed even more. The result is kind of like a Tyler Perry version of the British Death at a Funeral (I know you can't hear my sarcasm, so i'll tell you up front, this is not a good thing, though I'm sure Oprah loved this movie).

Now the great thing about the British original is that it was so smart, and witty, and tongue in cheek. They really had some pretty hilarious idea in there. When you try to change it for an American audience which understand neither wit nor smart humor you already have problems. This movie's answer to that; everything the other movie humorously implies, this movie shouts at your face. See, good comedy is like horror films. In a horror film, you want to show the audience as little as possible, because what we can imagine is infinitely more scary than anything a make up artist can create. Good humor is the same way. It doesn't throw the entire joke and why it's funny out there. It gives you a set up and lets you have to figure out why its funny. Basically you have to use your head which is why Americans normally don't make anything very funny. This is also why one of the best comedies of all time, Arrested Development, was cancelled on TV after three and a half while one of the worst, Two and a Half Men, is going into its 8th season. Arrested Development asked you to think and just happened to be brilliant. Two and a Half Men ensures that you will never have to think. Ever.

Not to say this movie doesn't try to be funny though. It does. It tries really hard. It takes everything from the British original and recycles it, but it doesn't have the timing or the wit to pull it off. I don't think I laughed once at this movie because every single 'joke' falls flat. To be a funny actor you have to understand why the material you are given is funny. Just the fact that they thought it'd be a good idea to remake and Americanize this movie proves that they didn't get the humor to begin with, and therefore can't recreate and sell it. It ends up feeling like they're trying too hard, because the ideas in the script are hilarious, but the script and the performances aren't. Oh, but they are trying to be. They're trying really hard. You can't try to be funny in comedy! You just are or you aren't! This film is not.

Not to say there isn't decent parts. I lied before. I said I didn't laugh once. I actually think I laughed twice and both times it was at James Marsden. He's quite funny here. It pales in comparison to Alan Tudyk in the original, but what can you do? Another high point, Peter Dinklage. He and Marsden are the only two in this who give good performances. The rest are over the top or boring. I know it's weird to have both in a comedy, but that's what you get when you're trying too hard.

Chris Rock is a funny guy. I'm not trying to say he's not. I'm just trying to say that he was wrong for remaking this movie. And I'm saying that during his big motivational speech at the end he looks like he's trying to remember his lines. And I'm saying that he kind of looks like the zebra he plays in Madagascar. And I'm wondering if that's wrong to say. And I've decided that I don't care because it's true.

I'll take one moment to set up and share (possibly) the worst joke in this entire more, and trust me there's a lot. Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence are brothers. Chris is going to do the eulogy for his father because he's older (does that make no sense to anyone else?) but Martin is a writer so everyone thinks he should do the speech. When someone points this out to him, he says "But I'm a writer too." The man responds by saying, "We all write checks Aaron." Ooooh, clever.

Anyway this movie is a waste of time and so unnecessary. Rent the original. Seriously. It's hilarious. Skip this by all means. And if you don't skip this, and you pay money to see it, and they make a sequel, I am going to punch you in the throat. You've been warned.

D-