2010 Review #49: Death at a Funeral

Death at a Funeral
(2010 Remake)

Rated R
(language, drug content and some sexual humor)
1 hour 32 minutes

Storyline:
A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies. Remake of a 2007 British film.

Directed By: Neil LaBute

Starring:
Chris Rock
Martin Lawrence
Tracy Morgan
Regina Hall
Loretta Devine
Luke Wilson
James Marsden
Zoe Saldana
Danny Glover
Peter Dinklage

Critics Grade:
38%
(It's amusing and it assembles a talented cast, but Neil LaBute's surprisingly faithful remake of the 2007 Frank Oz dramedy ultimately falls short of the original)

My Grade:
B-

I never saw the original version of this film. I've heard it's a pretty good film, and that this remake doesn't really do it much justice. They say it's not 100% faithful to the original...but what remake typically is? But at any rate, I have to review this movie based on the fact that THIS is the version I've seen first. You know overall I was a bit surprised by the movie. I actually enjoyed the first two thirds of the film. Mainly because it has such a large and likable cast and all of the get such ample screen time. Most of them are pretty funny, and some are quite surprising. Chris Rock delivers a pretty good, calm performance. He isn't his usual crazy self, he does something different here and I liked it. Martin Lawrence was typical Martin Lawrence. Sometimes in this movie his humor is to forced and got a bit annoying. I liked James Marsden who was drugged up most of the time. He was probably the funniest character in the whole movie. The last act of the movie kind of just falls flat. To much is just so conveniently resolved and all is well. It doesn't really pack any kind of punch and it really just leaves you (or at least me) disappointed. I guess I wanted a bigger, more humorous ending...but didn't get it. Oh well, overall I basically "liked" this movie. I didn't quite love it and probably wouldn't watch it again. But on a one time viewing...it was decent.