Sometimes doing the right thing can get downright ugly
Rating: 6/10
Running Time: 84 minutes
UK Certificate: 12
On DVD
Joshua Jackson stars as Earl Crest, a young Southerner who has to work hard at keeping his friends and family out of trouble. He is in a relationship with his step-sister Baby (Jamie King), although they are somewhat justified in that he and Baby were together before their respective parents even met. Baby tells Earl to keep an eye on her cousin Junior (DJ Qualls), but Junior is doing his best to get into trouble. Junior and his thuggish friend Tinker (Ryan Hurst) mug a pizza delivery boy, however when they open the bag they have taken they discover that it actually contains thousands of dollars and some drugs.
When Earl finds out about the mugging, he confiscates the money and drugs, so that when the owners come back for it he can return it. However, Junior has already spent $2,000 of the money, and Earl and Baby have a little less than that in the bank money that Earl has promised will be used to take Baby to the city to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Earl must work out how to make up the difference. Things become more complicated when the money and drugs have been returned it turns out that they have been given to the wrong people, and now the real owners want it back. To make matters worse, the man who killed Earls' father has just been released from jail, and he always swore that he would come back to get his revenge on Earl.
This is an amiable comedy full of slapstick, mix-ups, confusion and foolish characters. Joshua Jackson makes an effective job of playing the sensible Earl, an amusing character trying to make sense of the idiots around him. The rest of the cast make the most of their bizarre characters, and work rather well together. The plot is fairly thin, but gallops along quickly enough that the lack of depth is not overly important. If there is a criticism to be levelled it is at the Southern stereotypes, which see everyone living in trailers or having a yard full of junk cars, and with even Earl and Baby's relationship being the acceptable face of an old cliché.
It's Got: An entertaining performance from Joshua Jackson.
It Needs: To go beyond the stereotypes.
DVD Extras No remarkable extras with this basic DVD release. Extras: Trailers DVD Extras Rating: 1/10
Summary
This is a passable fun and frantic humorous crime caper that will appeal most to teenagers and young adults.