by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Do you have that one thing that will automatically turn you against a movie you are about to watch? You can have a potentially interesting concept where a character finally meets their soon-to-be in-laws, who turn out to be professional thieves who want to take advantage of that character. That character could even be played by a legitimately hilarious performer like Adam Devine. Those in-laws could be portrayed by the ever-talented Ellen Barkin and ‘90s James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan. Throw in some supporting turns from national treasure Richard Kind and funny man Lil Rel Howery. That is a lot going for a film! But then you turn it on, the opening acknowledgements begin, and Happy Madison appears on screen. But there is no Adam Sandler in sight. That is a bad sign.
Is this a killer, though? There is always the chance that the right crew can bring things together despite a reputation. But director Tyler Spindel’s involvement doesn’t help. His romantic comedy The Wrong Missy is legitimately one of the worst films you can watch on Netflix. Spindel’s track record is not great, and he is saddled with this action/comedy involving car chases, bank heists, and shootouts. But let’s get this out of the way: The Out-Laws can barely be called an action movie. Those moments have no spirit or personality, which leaves them falling flat.
But what about the comedy part of the mixed genre? This film only has a few fleeting moments of real humor to get a laugh out of you. A few might come from Devine (our lead), but overall, the film pushes him to all of his worst ambitions. Devine does his trademark squealing-like-a-baby gag, which does get that laugh… the first time. Six times later, things get incredibly grating. His silly song singing is fun, too… for a bit. The film doesn’t know when to move on from a gag. There are a lot of talented people involved in it, but so many of them are just wasted. At least Kind and Howery can get a few laughs out of you. Regarding Kind, that might be an understatement, as almost every one of his line deliveries gets the bare minimum of a solid chuckle.
With the lackluster action and limited laughs, can the rest of the writing keep this one going? Not so much. The characters — every single one of them — lacks depth and just hit on one or two specific traits. This film wastes Brosnan, and that is a horrible sin. But the issue is worse, as the story is so unoriginal, and blows a strong concept that had plenty of potential. Each beat feels familiar, and stretched to its limits. It is a tough feat to make every scene feel like it wears out its welcome. The film fails to make connections between the audience and these characters, and in the end, do we ever care?
Has Happy Madison reached new lows with The Out-Laws? That would be a harsh judgement, and thankfully it is not quite the case. This film has its moments. There are some laughs and scenes that do work. Devine, Barkin, and Brosnan do their best. There are other films from this studio that are unwatchable and downright offensive. At least this one can brag that it is neither of those.
Rating: Hated It
The Out-Laws is currently streaming on Netflix
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