Dick and Jane Harper (Carrey and Leoni) are living an idyllic, anonymous, upscale lifestyle. Dick is made a vice president at the mega-corporation Globodyne, then before you can say Enron, the company collapses, taking Dick with it. Unable to find a new job, the Harpers sink into poverty and desperation, eventually turning to a life of crime to make ends meet. Finally, they team up with a former colleague (Jenkins) to make the top boss (Baldwin) pay for what he's done.

There's a superb script in here somewhere, with an astutely comedic take on the recent corporate scandals running alongside a lacerating satire of middle class consumerism. Unfortunately, little of that remains in the film. Director Parisot (who made the gem Galaxy Quest) seems to develop mixamitosis whenever his star and, more tellingly, producer is on screen. The camera stares like a bunny in headlamps as Carrey grimaces and flails. And it's just not funny.

When he's not clowning, Carrey actually creates an intriguing character and makes the most of some clever scenes, especially when he's working with the likeable and up-for-anything Leoni. And both Jenkins and Baldwin have their moments too. But none of the madcap slapstick set pieces work--the facial deformity episodes, the immigration escapade, the bank heist, the complicated final caper. It's consistently watchable, but we only laugh at a few throwaway gags that flit across the screen.

Besides the general lack of actual humour, the movie's main failing is in its refusal to take hold of the story's more serious undercurrents. Poking fun at these elements would have brought the humour to life, but the filmmakers only graze against relevant, identifiable, ripe-for-picking issues on their way to the next bit of pointlessly wacky shtick. By the end, you're still waiting for all that fun the title promised.

themes, language, innuendo

20.Dec.05