Possession may be 9/10 of the law but payback is everything to the lawless. Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito escalate a battle of egosand a battalion of laughsto epic proportions in this fast-paced joke-fest that takes low... more »-down behavior to hilarious new heights! Co-starring John Leguizamo (Moulin Rouge), Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), William Fichtner (Pearl Harbor), Bernie Mac (The Original Kings of Comedy), Carmen Ejogo (The Avengers), Larry Miller (The Nutty Professor II) and Nora Dunn (Three Kings), this laugh-out-loud comedy proves that "the worst that could happen is missing this film" (Jeffrey Lyons)! Caught red-handed trying to rob a mansion, Kevin Caffery (Lawrence) leaves empty-handed when the house's owner, ruthless billionaire Max Fairbanks (DeVito), spies Kevin's "lucky" ring and claims it as his own!Out of jail and out of his mind with rage, Kevin will do anything to get the ring back. But Max considers it his most cleverly won possession and will do anything to keep it! With battle lines drawn and no risk too great, these two set out to ruin each other's lives and both succeed admirably!« less
Wasted great talent on a lackluster plotline. Don't let it happen!
Movie Reviews
The worst that could happen? Watching this film.
S. Glaser | champaign, il United States | 02/25/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Five minutes in, I was cringing. Fifteen minutes in, I was in pain. It rates one star because the cinematography, lighting, sound, and other techical crews did competent work -- and because it's the lowest rating on the form.
If you love a good comedy caper, read the Donald Westlake book this atrocity was based on. It's clever, thrilling and hilarious -- everything the movie ain't. If you *must* get your comedy capers in movie form, get The Hot Rock instead. On the other hand, if your idea of brilliant humor is the stuff that cracks up 12-year-olds when they think they're being naughty, hey, this may be right up your alley."
Formula Martin Lawrence comedy
S. Glaser | 11/13/2002
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Film students, listen up: the formula for a typical Martin Lawrence film goes something like this. Find a comedy script and remove anything that smacks of cleverness and genuine humor - we don't want to upstage Lawrence's own 'natural ability' to provide laughs simply by showing up and looking cross-eyed into the camera. Add to the cast a sexy black woman/love interest who in real life wouldn't give Lawrenece himself or the character he's playing the time of day. Create lots of scenes that defy any semblance of reality and let Lawrence mug his way through with half-assed imitations of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and just about any other black comedian you can mention. Speaking of which, I can't imagine Bernie Mac actually found this script funny enough to make an appearance. Believe me, you won't either. Everyone's obviously in it for an easy paycheck. Do yourself a favor and don't encourage them any further."
AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IT ITSELF POSES.
Shashank Tripathi | Gadabout | 05/30/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Starts out with good timing, and some decent laughable banter from Martin Lawrence. Nothing laugh out loud funny but pleasantly amusing schtick. The central premise is actually quite interesting (billionaire stealing a ring from a petty robber etc), but the film fails to take advantage of it, choosing instead to lapse into numerous plot-holes, cliches and mind-bending stupidity. There's even a gay, dog-loving detective who adds fart humor to the mix. And all this leads to a climax that takes a quantum leap of logic and rationality. Perhaps a worthy rental if you're into slapstick, but overall a skippable fare."
The worst did happen...this movie!
Ei | Seekonk, Massachusetts | 05/01/2002
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This movie doesn't deserve to much time from me. The best part about this movies is BOSTON. It was filmed in Boston, and as a life time Massachusetts resident, I loved seeing our fair city in yet, another of the handful of films actually filmed here.
It is a city that looks beautiful on film.Lawrence is playing his usual role of the petty thief who dances and talks way through the film. ....
I do usually like Danny Devito, but I don't know what he was thinking here. His character, Max, has a few funny moments, ....
Lawrence robs Devito, and Devito is in the house when it happens. He steals the ring Lawrence is wearing. The rest of the movie is Lawrence trying to get the ring back.
This movie didn't make me laugh much. When I was laughing, it was when Detective Tardio was on screen. What a hoot! William Fichtner plays him, and he is weird! really weird. At first, I didn't know what the heck his character was for, but I realize now that the movie needed him. He was the best that happened..."
Not too shabby
Jakery the Bakery | 06/01/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Not the Best movie, but worth seeing. if your looking for a movie to make you laugh alot than thi isn't it. But its alot better than some other movie out there so just give it a chance"