A mixed bag of funny

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2008)

It's really a schizophrenic comedy, alternating between some of the funniest stuff ever put on film (basically, Vince Vaughn) and some really awkward, really unfunny pseudo-emo/romance stuff (basically, Owen Wilson). The first act is pretty solid, not really overly funny, but not terrible either - it sets up the story well. This allows the second act to go all out, and it pretty much does, as this is pretty much the funniest half hour of cinema perhaps ever. Unfortunately, this leads into the brutally awful third act, which is painfully unfunny and also quite disturbing. Not just because of Wilson's darkly ironic glamourized depression, but also Will Ferrell's way too dark cameo that makes one feel uncomfortable, not amused. And of course, it all culminates in a predictably corny finish. Overall, just a mixed bag of funny.