Gets better as it goes along.

Rating: 8/10 (28 November 2001)

This is a comedy that at the start threatens to become overburdened by - of all things - a plot. Too much time is spent on developing the characters and manouvering them into the situation that will become the driving force of the movie. About halfway through, when all of this has been done, the movie's tone finally settles down into a steady stream of gags. The rewards that follow make it well worth the effort of sticking with it during the opening. There are at least three jokes over the running time that deserve to be recognised as all time classics, if not more.
As has so often happened, the Farrelly brothers have managed to extract creditable performances from all four leads. Bill Murray steals the show, but then, I don't think I've ever seen a movie where he hasn't. The guy is a comedy legend, 'nuff said. Quaid manages to imbue a real sensitive sweetness into what would otherwise be just a stupid character. Ishmael IS stupid, but he's stupid with a heart of gold, and the Farrelly brothers again manage to handle the material with enough sensitivity that most moviegoers will be shocked, but not necessarily offended.
This, "Dumb & Dumber" and "There's Something About Mary" are the Farrelly brothers' GOOD movies. "Me, Myself & Irene" is not in the same class.