Saturday, July 28, 2007

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)

Overall rating from 1 to 100: 56

O Masterpiece (95-100)
O Excellent (75-94)
O Good video rental (60-74)
X Merely OK (50-59)
O Pure mediocrity (30-49)
O Medusa: don't watch (1-29)

Review by Jason Pyles / July 28, 2007

The top three most hypocritical, contradictory movies that I know of are “Freaks” (1932), “The Condemned” (2007) and “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.”

“Freaks” gives us the message “don’t ridicule and stare at those who are different,” while the movie itself exploits actual deformed people’s oddities, inviting us to gawk at them. “The Condemned,” which was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, lectures on how immoral it is to enjoy violence as entertainment ... um ... wait a second.

“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” teaches us to refrain from the unfair practice and hurtful effects of gay-bashing; all the while, the movie itself bashes gays with adolescent fervor and scathing clichés.

And in the end, heterosexual relationships are depicted as sacredly enduring and ultimately triumphant. Although I personally agree with the previous sentence, I suspect that the gay community will likely find this movie to be an offensive slap in the face, despite its “moral.”

Though “Chuck and Larry” seems to be pro-gay and anti-gay at the same time, we must remember, after all, that this is Adam Sandler and a Happy Madison production. In other words, we shouldn’t take it too seriously.

Read on. You’ll see what I mean: Chuck (Adam Sandler) and Larry (Kevin James) are best friends, fire fighters in Brooklyn and as straight as arrows in the way of sexual orientation. Chuck is a promiscuous playboy and Larry is a widower with two kids.

One day during a call, Larry saves Chuck’s life. Chuck tells Larry that he owes him — anything. Coincidentally, Larry needs to adjust his life insurance policy that his children may be protected if he dies. In order to do this, Larry must remarry (long story). To be short, Larry asks Chuck to pose as his partner that the children may be in good hands and covered by the policy.

Because this is insurance fraud, the couple is investigated. They hire a lawyer named Alex (Jessica Biel) to protect them from lawsuits. Chuck is extremely attracted to the lawyer, which jeopardizes their scheme. As you can imagine, complications ensue.

Overall, “Chuck and Larry” is fairly funny, but not hilarious by any means. Most males will enjoy Jessica Biel’s casting in this movie. The nudity referred to by the MPAA is of males (not frontal). But quite a few women show up in lingerie.

Basically, “Chuck and Larry” is more of the same old Sandler. When is he going to give us another “Punch-Drunk Love” (2002)? Next to that masterpiece, Sandler’s other stuff is gay.

Directed by Dennis Dugan
Adam Sandler / Kevin James / Jessica Biel
110 min. Comedy
MPAA: PG-13 (for crude sexual content throughout, nudity, language and drug references)

Copyright 2007.
JP0158 : 424

posted by Jason Pyles, Movie Reviewer @ 3:25 PM
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