Starring:Ben Stiller, Malin Akerman, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller, Carlos Mencia, Rob Corddry
Director:
Bobby and Peter Farrelly (Stuck on You, Fever Pitch)
MPAA Rating:
R for strong sexual content, crude humor and language.
Release Date:
October 2007
Synopsis:
Eddie Cantrow marries a dreamy woman only to learn at the honeymoon that she's a total nightmare. As this discovery sets in, Eddie meets the real girl of his dreams.
My Two Cents:
The Farrelly brothers have directed some of the funniest movies I’ve seen, including There’s Something About Mary, Me, Myself and Irene, and Shallow Hal, but they seem to be losing their touch. As funny as Ben Stiller is, I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken by the mostly unfunny The Heartbreak Kid.
Every character Stiller plays seems to get themselves in the most awkward situations, and Eddie Cantrow doesn’t break the tradition. He is afraid of commitment, and has blown off women that seemed perfect to everyone else. When he meets a hot blonde (Malin Akerman) and finally decides to marry her, she turns out to be a huge freak.
Most of the movie takes place in Cabo, Mexico, during their honeymoon. Even before arriving at Cabo, Lila starts acting all weird and annoying. It gets worst every day and it’s clear that Eddie is getting fed up and realizes he’s made a huge mistake by getting married way too soon. After settling in the beautiful beachside resort, Eddie meets a cute brunette called Miranda and they quickly become good friends. Slowly, but surely they start falling for each other. So Eddie now has to make a choice: put up with his wife’s insanity or dump her in favor of the more normal Miranda. He starts making up stories to hide Miranda from Lila and vice versa, but the lies get out of hand resulting in somewhat amusing situations.
Rob Corddry plays Eddie’s best friend Mac, a guy apparently completely happy with his overly-dominating wife. He’s the one who convinced Eddie to get married and go to Cabo for his honeymoon. A very funny guy. In Cabo, Eddie meets Uncle Tito (Carlos Mencia), a hotel employee that is friends with Mac, who will give the newlyweds special treatment. Uncle Tito is by far the funniest character in the movie. Ben Stiller’s real life father, Jerry, plays his father in the movie. He’s always talking about getting pussy and double-teaming broads with his son. He’s funny, but the excessive sexual comments seem forced and unnatural.
The Heartbreak Kid is occasionally funny and entertaining, but ultimately uninspired and just average. My expectations were high, having seem how funny the Farrelly brothers and Ben Stiller can be, but it seems like There’s Something About Mary won’t be topped any time soon. It’s time to stop remaking old movies and start writing original material.
Score:
