Brooklyn Dodger Relief Ace Joe Black?

Rating: 3/10 (20 June 2007)

The first time I heard the title, "Meet Joe Black", I immediately thought of 1950's Brooklyn Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Black who had one or two great seasons before falling into obscurity. I LOVED it when Jeffrey Tambour brought up the subject, complete with Black's 1952 record. Best part of the film! To be fair, I missed the first half-hour. The first half-hour of which I'm certain must have explained exactly why Joe Black (Pitt) is so PAINFULLY slow and stupid. I mean, he's DEATH, but the director took that description literally! I always thought that death was stupid, but not as in "idiot" stupid, but more like in conceptually stupid. Anyway, I came in where Death was explaining himself to Anthony Hopkins. They then go into the dining room where Hopkins must introduce Death as an acquaintance who'll be joining the party. What follows is one of the most PAINFULLY_PACED_SECNES_ IN_HOLLYWOOD_HISTORY! Again, I obviously missed out on WHY he's so stupid, but after a while I didn't care WHY. I was just really annoyed with the idiot routine as well as a plethora of pauses big enough to sail the Queen Mary through! OK, so the "fish out of water" premise is a classic Hollywood device. Hillbilly Jed Clampett and family trying to adjust to life in Beverly Hills? Hilarious! Death as a complete idiot ADJUSTING to LIFE while being played by Brad Pitt? Appropriate, but not nearly as entertaining! I give the film three stars, two more than it deserves, because it had the class to mention the real Joe Black. Joe Black of the Brooklyn Dodgers!