Schadenfreude

Rating: Null/10 (10 November 2006)

'The Germans call it Schadenfreude', says the director/writer in a 'featurette', 'and they're right'.
And that about sums it all up - especially if you make a note of the two strategically placed sprayed down curls of hair he always has on his forehead in exactly the same places.
Extravagant manoeuvres like that are fine if you're eight years old, at the photographers, and your parents are grooming you. Remarks about Schadenfreude are also all right if you're totally lacking in polyglot chops, sophistication, and all-around intelligence quotient.
In other words the movie's about pain - more specifically pain to the skull and nether regions. And that's funny, says the director/writer.
Not that the movie is a total wash-out - after all, it's rated a '2' instead of a '1' - but it takes quite a lot to climb up that single rung of the ladder, not the least of which are VV and above all Christine Taylor who presents incredible eye candy.
Hey! You might like it! Not to worry about subtleties like the fact they waste more time and money on scenography than on developing a truly humorous script - it's got a lot of gags and dumb one-liners and three second cameos from people you'd least expect to see and hope you wouldn't have to see.
So renting this one won't be a total waste. Unless of course you have better things to do with your evening. Unless the local gym is fully booked and you can't get in a game of dodge ball of your own. Unless your goldfish are tired of playing charades with you. Unless you're a total loser.
So go ahead - rent it! Enjoy!