The beginning of the recent Steve Carrell feature film leaves one dry at first. Even the opening sequence left me thinking of my own ideas wishing the writers would have taken it to a further level (particularly since Mel Brooks was one of three consultants during the filming). The meeting of Anne Hathaway's character on first screen is a bit rushed without the believability that these two could have any tension between them...(but you'd be surprised...though the party scene is quite cute with Anne and Steve in a dance off).
Action wise, no room for disappointment, of course one must think how far can one go with stunts in a comedy before it becomes more cartoon vs. action film. The balance was good enough to make Steve look tough and competent. Watch him holding a gun, impressive! I wouldn't want Michael from the The Office hold a fire arm. That's something Dwight would probably tutor him on :) (nudge to The Office fans out there-smile).
Acting wise, well, one thinks whose vehicle is this? Steve's? Steve & Anne's? Well, though there are a lot of names Alan Arkin and Dwayne Johnson to name a few, who garner A+ grades for their performance required of their roles, I'd have to say as a whole ensemble, the acting team earned a B+. Sometimes I just felt there could have been better delivery of lines. Then again, I WAS the only one laughing at most of the film's dialogue, which might have been lost on the rest of the audience...Humor is really touch and go.
Overall, this wasn't a bad film, nor was it THAT funny enough to let me remember lines worthy of repeating. For fans with esoteric taste in comedy, however, this film may have enough fans to hope for a sequel....And that might not be a bad thing.
