Hall Pass (Warner Brothers)
Take A Pass On This Movie
The Farrelly Brothers of Theres Something About Mary, King Pin and Stuck On You fame have returned to the big screen with Hall Pass. Once again they pepper their film with low brow humor and a trivial plot. If it had been funnier it might have worked, but it is a slow moving, dull comedy that is also gross and offensive.
Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play best friends Rick and Fred. Their wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) are also close. Rick and Fred spend most of their free time looking at women and wondering what chance they have with them. Their wives see this as harmless fun until their friend Dr. Lucy (Jo Behar) suggests they give the guys a hall pass. In other words they will have a week off from their marriage to do anything they want to do.
The wives decide to this and inform the guys who cant believe their good fortune. After the wives take off for a summer retreat the guys make their plans. Of course nothing works out the way they expect it to and soon they are in over their heads.
None of this is the least bit funny and a lot of the humor is just gross and revolting. The acting by Wilson and Sudeikis is average with neither man really getting into his role. Fischer and Applegate are wasted as the wives.
Richard Jenkins makes a cameo appearance as a lecherous older guy. Why someone of his stature would join this troop is beyond understanding. He is an Academy Award nominee!
The film is rated R for profanity, mild violence and nudity.
The smart thing to do is take a pass on Hall Pass. This is not the caliber of movie on which you want to spend your hard earned dollars. If you have to see it, and I really question why you do, wait for the DVD. It will probably have a bunch of extras in extremely bad taste.
After this flop I doubt the Farrelly Brothers will be much in demand for other films. Their careers have been on a downhill slide and this is one low point in their involvement with movies.
Owen Wilson can be a funny actor. Lets hope he finds something of a higher level to work on and soon. Same for Applegate and Fischer.
I scored Hall Pass a restricted 4 out of 10.
