"Liar, Liar" doesn't capture any of the "Ace Ventura" lunacy

Rating: 7/10 (11 June 2008)

Although Jim Carrey's pants never catch on fire in director Tom Shadyac's "Liar, Liar," this modestly funny comedy should shield him from the bad connection that he made last summer with his offbeat change of character comedy "The Cable Guy." "Liar, Liar" reteams the elastic faced comic with his inventive "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" director Tom Shadyac, who pulled Eddie Murphy's dying career out of the doldrums with "The Nutty Professor." Unhappily, neither Shadyac nor Carrey can chuckle up the barrels of laughter needed to tickle their wishy-washy script. "Liar, Liar" casts Carrey as divorced, upscale, philandering lawyer, Fletcher Reede, who lives to lie and lies to live. His lies have already sabotaged his marriage, and his ambitions to become a partner in an illustrious law firm now threaten to scuttle his daddy ship.
Hollywood has given us another adorable mop-headed child actor, Justin Cooper. When Fletcher skips out on his son's birthday party, Max wishes that his pop could stop lying for a day. As Fletcher is about to defend a conniving slut, Samantha Cole (Jennifer Tilly of "Bound") in a multi-million dollar alimony suit that could win him his partnership, he finds himself compelled to tell nothing but the truth! The premise of "Liar, Liar" is as cute and predictable as any episode of the Elizabeth Montgomery TV sitcom "Bewitched." Plug Carrey into any predicament that prompts him to prevaricate, and you'll laugh yourself silly at his shenanigans. If you've the "Liar, Liar" trailer, you've seen some of the movie's funnier moments. But there's still just enough added hilarity to justify ticket sales. The scene in the board room where Carrey spreads the awful truth about his boss, Mr. Allen (Mitchell Ryan of "Magnum Force"), and his co-workers is outrageously funny. The outtakes at the end of the movie are as funny as anything from an old Burt Reynolds comedy, too.
Sadly, the guffaws don't go far enough in "Liar, Liar." Although Carrey dominates the film with is trademark facial contortions, the producers have seen fit to shackle his insanity within a morality tale of suburban schmaltz. When Carrey fight to fib, his face erupts into a kaleidoscope of cheek-tweaking, lip-curling, jaw-jutting expressions matched only by the kind of bodily gyrations that would make him the envy of St. Vitus. The trouble starts when "Heartbreakers" scenarists Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur confine Carrey's clowning so that they can develop their sentimental, happily-ever-after storyline. As one movie critic observed, this kind of movie would have been perfect for Michael Keaton, but for Jim Carrey, it is a misfire.
"Liar, Liar's" unwholesome plot elements distract you from the humor. First, they have made Carrey a divorced dad. Second, they have him sleeping with his boss mistress in a "Disclosure" style subplot. Third, they have him trying to break up his ex-wife, Audrey Reede (sexy Maura Tierney of "Semi-Pro") and her hopelessly bland boyfriend Jerry (Cary Elwes of "Robin Hood: Men in Tights"). Jerry wants to wed Audrey and wing her off to Boston where he has a job as a hospital administrator. When Fletchers learns that he may lose his son, he experiences a radical conversion that makes you want to cry instead of giggle. Hollywood prefers to whitewash its heroes, but Fletcher seems beyond redemption by the time that he realizes the error of his ways. That's the problem with this contrived comedy; it's far too washy and not wishy enough.
"Liar, Liar" helmer Tom Shadyac seems to have forgotten the light touch. He spends more time deploying his actor for the big jokes instead of letting you enjoy the Carrey-on type of humor that made Carrey a box office sensation. The moments when Carrey gets to mug are wonderful, but when he becomes a puppet of the plot, "Liar, Liar" folds.
Although "Liar, Liar" doesn't capture any of the "Ace Ventura" lunacy, Jim Carrey's fans should find it a welcome relief after his role as "The Cable Guy."