Review by Doug Cooper
Stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P Henson, George Takei, Pam Grier, Rita Wilson
Written by Tom Hanks & Nia Vardalos
Certification UK 12A | US PG-13
Runtime 98 minutes
Directed by Tom Hanks
Hanks has laid an egg with this one. His second directorial effort after That Thing You Do (1996) is quite simply godawful drivel. The trite script that's been concocted by him and Nia Vardalos is devoid of any conflict or indeed charm. He plays the title character, an ebullient supermarket worker who has won the Employee of the Month prize numerous times and is now let go because of the company's restructuring. Without any university qualifications to help him on his way, he decides to enroll at an adult education institute, taking a class in economics, and an early morning class in public speaking.
At least that's what I think the subject is. But in the hands of cynical and unhappy teacher Mercedes (Roberts), it ultimately results in being one of the most meaningless classes ever depicted in a movie. What exactly do her 10 students learn from her? They talk about various subjects and gradually gain confidence I suppose, but to me precious little education is gained. And Larry is such a loquacious and outgoing individual he hardly needs to waste his time with the deadbeats doing this course.
But he has a sneaking regard for his teacher. Mercedes is unhappily married and one night gets drunk amd makes a pass at him. He's besotted but a gentleman too, so no hanky panky takes place. Would that we should be so lucky. At least it might engender some reason to keep one engaged in this utterly feeble scenario.
Mercedes likes him but thinks he's going out with fellow student, Talia (Mbatha-Raw), an attractive and feisty individual who gives Larry a makeover, cleaning out his house and giving him more modern and fashionable threads to wear. But Talia is actually seeing Dell (Valderrama) , the sultry leader of a biker gang. They ride around town on their weedy mopeds and are the most unthreatening and unintimidating biker gang I've ever seen.
There's not one laugh to be had in this anemic affair. Hanks and Roberts have great comic timing, but it's never utilised as the script fails to give them any witty banter or amusing lines to play off. The situations depicted are so mild and pat that as it goes on one is left continuously wondering that something remotely interesting might happen. Alas it doesn't. Takei could've provided some laughs as the stern economics professor, but again he is let down by the total absence of anything funny to say.
This inoffensive trifle washes over you in the same way a bland sitcom does. But coming from such stellar Hollywood talents, it leaves one agape at how bloodless it all is. In fact, it's far worse than bloodless – it's hopeless. And dreadful. Not to make too fine a point of it, I hate this movie. Appalling.