Should have been good

Rating: 1/10 (13 November 2005)

This should have been a spectacular movie. Think about it: you have Hoffman and De Niro, who were practically gods at one time, playing a washed-up hippie and a washed-up warmonger, coming together for their children's wedding, like a self-referential, super satirical version of "You Can't Take it With You."
That's what it should have been. Instead, it's a complete mess. I don't even know how to describe this movie. It goes on for what seems like five hours, during which a bunch of stuff happens, and none of it is funny. Ben Stiller stands around giving that stupid pucker-faced wrinkly-eyebrowed expression he uses in every damn one of his movies, and whines. Blythe Danner wanders around saying her only line--"Oh, Jack"--over and over again. Teri Polo stands in the background without doing anything. A baby swears and points at breasts. A dog humps things. A foreskin falls in a fondue pot. On and on and on. I hate this movie. I can't figure out if Hoffman and De Niro were trying to get recognized again, if they just wanted a few extra bucks, or if they're just plain going senile. Whatever the case, it's a sad waste of talent, and a sad movie. 0/10 stars.