OK  it's basic, but some of it is very funny

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2002)

Despite a disastrous prom date, Ted is still pining for his high school sweetheart Mary 13 years later. Hearing she is in Miami she hires a private detective to find out more about her to help him get the courage to go and meet her again. However the detective starts to fall for Mary and uses his information to get close to her. On discovering this Ted sets out by road to meet Mary himself  assuming he can get there in one piece.
I usually like to write a little about the plotting of any film I review and weight it on it's relative merits but can I do that here? The plot is unimportant compared to the importance of OTT and tasteless jokes and routines that the script allows. So in terms of plot - who cares who ends up with Mary or any detail like that, this is all about the comedy. It is pretty funny but it depends on your taste. Suffice to say that fans of Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde or Woody Allen might find this a little below them. This is not the film to check out if you're looking for wit or intelligent humour. Instead this is where you want to go for the most basic of crude jokes and silly physical comedy.
However I don't mean to sound snobbish like this sort of thing is just tasteless and rubbish. Instead it is very funny at some key stages. I defy you not to laugh at some of the more outrageous or exaggerated physical routines - the dog or the prom date are two of the best. More than that the film has added lots of touches which just add to the material even if they aren't logical, for example the wandering band or the final scene with the old man on the balcony are two good examples of weird little add-ons that just are funny because they are not within the reality of the film. Of course, taste has left the building and many people may find it too basic or not like laughing as one of the characters on crutches tries to pick something up off the floor or laughing at Mary's mentally slow brother.
The cast do well. Stiller plays well in his usual sort of role (see Meet the Parents etc) and Dillon hams it up to great effect in a role outside of his normal type of stuff. Diaz is pretty good and it's nice o see her make fun of herself. Evans is very funny as Norman and his physical comedy skills are put to good effect in some scenes where `you know you SHOULDN'T laugh' but you do.
Overall this is trashy low-brow comedy. It is in poor taste for the majority of the film and the targets are often easy. However I defy you not to laugh during the film  it may never be viewed as art but dammit, it's funny for the majority of the time.