Shallow Hal
Dir: The Farrelly Brothers, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
2001
**
Apart from the fact that this film has only one joke in it and tells it a hundred times, it's not that bad. It's still no great though. I don't particularly like Jack Black either, especially in this film. Credit due though, the message is there and it works in that Vice Versa/Big tradition/logic and certain scenes, in particular the one with the little girl in the burns unit, are actually really touching and tastefully done. I also really like Jason Alexander. There were some George Costanza moments here and that's got to be worth an extra star.
The Heartbreak Kid
Dir: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly, The Farrelly Brothers
2007
*
I only watched The Heartbreak Kid for the fantastic Jerry Stiller. I though a Stiller father and son film would be quite funny but that wasn't really the case, a couple of mildly funny scenes aside, it was bitterly disappointing and Stiller junior has inherited none of Stiller Senior's natural flare for comedy. Although this film is a loose remake, it feels as if the Farrelly brothers made it up as they went along and by the time you get half way, you just want it to be over. Shame really as it didn't start off too badly. Watch it for the scene with Jerry Stiller and Kayla Kleevage in a hot-tub in Vegas but nothing more.
The Three Stooges
Dir: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly, The Farrelly Brothers
2012
**
Hang on, this film was supposed to be awful! I like the original Three Stooges, maybe not as much as the Marx brothers but I truly believe they were artists and that slap-stick is a true art form. Their timing was second to none. Okay, so I've given it 2 stars, mainly because the story was a bit rubbish, a cross between Fletch and The Blues Brothers with a bit of Jersey Shore thrown in. It is as awful as that sounds but Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos played Larry, Curly and Moe perfectly. They are obviously all fans but still, this must have taken a lot of study and practice to get right and credit is due to them all. I also quite liked the idea of a Jewish man playing a Nun, Larry David being the perfect choice. These are saving graces, enough to save it from being the absolute failure we all thought it would be.
