Mostly mindless, but thoroughly entertaining

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2004)

Not something I'd show young children, but the funniest movie I've seen in a long, long time. As mindless comedies go, this is destined to be a classic.
I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much, thinking that after There's Something About Mary and Zoolander, among others, that this movie would be the inevitable mediocre one that I probably wouldn't watch again, but I was dead wrong. I think, overall, this is the funniest one yet. Ben Stiller is arguably better as an antagonist than he is as the protagonist, and Vince Vaughn fits his part perfectly with his nonchalant and dry manner and deadpan delivery. Furthermore, there are an awful lot of unexpected little things that elevate it from funny to hilarious. Jason Bateman's character, for example, provided some of the best (and most unexpected) laughs. I wasn't expecting much in the way of plot, either, but I found it mildly entertaining, after all. Of course, it never gets in the way of the laughs, which keep on coming.
Obviously, this movie isn't for everyone - and some people might be quite offended or put off by it. For the rest of us, it's another great mindless comedy.