Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Allison Janney
Have I Seen it Before: You go into this feeling like you probably have, as long as you’ve seen War of the Roses (1989)…
Did I Like It: But that’s not quite right. It’s a precarious position to criticize a film by comparing it to another film, but it’s hard not to touch on that here. The heart of DeVito’s film is pitch black, with the doomed lovers committed to hating one another straight through to their final breaths. This is a broad Hollywood comedy, coming from one of the chief purveyors of broad, Hollywood comedies. Cumberbatch and Colman are sufficiently biting at their height, but the ending—even in its bleakness—is entirely too soft. The original works so well because Douglas and Turner seem to hate each other, even when they’re in love, whereas Cumberbatch and Coleman seem to love each other, even when they’re trying to kill one another. There should be no happy ending in the tale of the Roses, merely a sense that we can try to be a bit happier in their stead.
The films problems don’t end there, either. I laugh occasionally, but the cast is so stacked I’m left wanting more from the supporting characters. Ncuti Gatwa’s all-too-brief tenure as the Doctor let us all know he has the charisma that he should be leading his own movies, not playing the fifth Ken. Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon play Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon, earning their paychecks. The real missed opportunity here is Allison Janney. One would think that getting featured on the poster and generally being a national treasure would warrant more than a single scene which taxes none of the comedic minds at work here. This movie sold me the idea that she would be playing the Danny DeVito role. It was far less than that, and that’s a real shame.
A good adaptation makes one want to seek out the source material. Why does a lackluster remake also make one want to do the same thing?