DreamWorks Home Entertainment/ 2007/ 115 min./R
Release Date: December 16, 2008
Format: Blu-Ray
Price: $ 29.99
The following is information provided to ChatterShmatter by the distributor.
Genre:
Romantic Comedy
Starring:
Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Akerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia
Director:
Peter & Bobby Farrelly
Plot Synopsis:
Ben Stiller stars as Eddie, the 40 year old confirmed bachelor who finally says “I do” to the beautiful and sexy Lila (Malin Akerman). But during their honeymoon in Mexico, the woman of his dreams turns out to be a total nightmare, and the guy who could never pull the trigger realizes he’s jumped the gun.
Review
The Heartbreak Kid is best described in a single word, comfortable. The film as a whole is a very funny romantic romp in the style and flair we have come to expect from the Farrelly brothers. This film brought a lot of comfort to the viewer. The comfort I speak of is in a number of things found throughout the film.
The first most obvious example of this is with the type of character Ben Stiller plays in the film. Eddie is reminiscent of characters Ben Stiller has come to be known for portraying, similar to his Ted Stroehmann of “There’s Something About Mary” and Gaylord Focker in “Meet the Parents” where he continually finds himself on the short end of the stick of life. In this film his character is a 40 year old sporting goods store owner who finds himself seated at the kids table, er should I say, “singles” table at his ex-fiancee’s wedding. While finding it incredibly difficult to find “the one”, he comes to the realization with the help of his real life father (who is playing his father in the film) Jerry Stiller and his friend Mac (Rob Corddry) that maybe he is just too hard on love and decides to open up, and along comes Lila.
Perhaps the best part of this film was the stars opposite Ben, in Malin Akerman and Michelle Monaghan, as the loves of his life. These women played very different characters but both were very well done. Even though from time to time Malin’s character Lila reminded me of Cameron Diaz’s Mary, not sdo much in terms of the character but the way Malin looked and portrayed the character.
Another example of the comfort is with the delicate mix of humor and romance, as long as that mixture is 2/3 raunchy humor and 1/3 romance. This film was a classic Farrelly brother’s film where the string of unfortunate events all of which play into the pot of the film, all the while making you turn away to hide from the image. Whether it is the deviated septum and orange juice or the donkey show in Mexico this film definitely can be categorized as raunchy humor with a splash of romance very similar to “There’s Something About Mary”
Jerry Stiller’s role as Ben’s dad is one of pure raunchy comic relief. While the role was well intended and it was fun to see the interaction between Ben and Jerry it was in my opinion over the top and from time to time I felt bad laughing at the scene. In retrospect it was the overwhelming feeling like I was laughing at someone disabled getting knocked out of their chair and being dragged around. The other supporting characters played by Rob Corddry and Carlos Mencia had a moment or two but were forgettable and felt more like throw ins to the film as opposed to supporting components of it. And while a valiant attempt the performance turned in by Danny McBride as Miranda’s cousin can be best described as obnoxious and annoying.
All in all this film is a good take and will definitely make you laugh, just keep in mind it is the Farrelly brothers.
Audio & Video
The quality of the blu-ray technology was fantastic in this film. The video transfer to 1080p HD had vibrant colors and provided some great pictures from the film. Of course because this film took place in San Francisco and beaches in Mexico it is hard not to have a great picture.
Special Features
The Special Features found on this disc are plentiful and fun to watch. If there is one thing you will walk away from the special features with it is that it will leave you wanting to be on a Farrelly brothers set. These special features are almost as fun as the film itself and well worth viewing.
Contained on this disc:
• Commentary by The Farrelly Brothers
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• The Farrelly Brothers in The French Tradition
• Ben & Jerry
• Heatbreak Halloween
• The Egg Toss
• Theatrical Trailer
Film: 8.0
Audio & Video: 9.0
Special Features: 8.5
Overall: 8.7
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