Review: The Heartbreak Kid

A 40 something year old is starting to feel the pressure of loneliness as his buddies are getting married and his ex fiancé just tied the knot. Reality kicks in and he realizes maybe his over pickiness is just a little extreme and maybe he’s just going to have take a few steps back and re-evaluate his strategy towards chicks. Lucky for him, he meets a woman who appears to be the perfect package. They date, they’re all lovey dovy until she gets a job transfer out of the states. They get married to avoid the transfer and our 40 something year old quickly discovers on the honeymoon that his little “perfect package” isn’t quite so perfect. However, as luck would have it, on his honeymoon he would meet another woman who is the true women of his dreams. Hilarity ensues.

I always enjoy Ben Stiller. But, so far, I’ve only liked two of the Farrelly brother’s movies, KINGPIN and THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. This film, however, is a close third. It had a lot of the same comedic elements of the above movies but it was just missing a little something that would have put it in their league. Maybe it was the simple storyline whereas THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY was pretty detailed and was more developed. I liked the film, I thought there were a lot of good laughs and a few out loud laughs and a lot of little subtle laughs…I loved the ring tone for his buddy’s wife and the hot tub scene! It was a combination of good dialogue and misunderstanding situational comedy (I think you can call it that?).

Ben Stiller plays Eddie Cantrow our newly wedded single guy. He pretty much plays the same guy he usually does when he’s in a leading role. But it works and he makes me laugh. Some of my favorite scenes are the ones with his real and on-screen father Jerry Stiller. He actually stole the scenes. “When a woman wants you to cock her, you cock her son”. Funny stuff.

Michelle Monaghan and Malin Akerman were both easy to look at on the big screen. Monaghan has the girl next door look and Akerman has that...dirty…nasty, in a good way kinda look. We get a cute boobie shot, too! They both played well off Stiller’s character (not the boobies but the two chicks). Akerman looked liked Cameron Diaz’s stunt double and she even acted like her a bit. She can do comedy pretty well (and her hotness certainly doesn’t hurt). Monaghan wasn’t really funny but she was good and she’ll always have that “perfect girlfriend” quality about her.

Like I said, I liked it. Is it the Farrelly’s next big picture? I don’t think so but if you’re a fan of the brothers’ style, I think most of you will enjoy it and have a good laugh. Fun cameo in the end, too bad she can’t act…. but man she’s hawt!

-- by Tim Goernert