Whos scamming who? A comedy about taking a chance on paradise.
Rating: 4/10
Running Time: 88 minutes
US Certificate: PG-13 UK Certificate: 12a
On DVD
You know that lazy, lethargic, cant-be-arsed-moving feeling you get when its a nice sunny day and youre lucky enough to be spending it outdoors? Well thats pretty much the impression given by the half-hearted and sleepy-looking cast of The Big Bounce, the Hawaii-set adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel (he also wrote the original novels of Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and Out of Sight, in case anybodys interested).
It wastes Owen Wilson as wandering criminal opportunist Jack Ryan, a man who thinks his luck might just be in when he hears word of an unguarded $200,000 apparently just waiting to be taken. Even better is that the person who wants to share this supposedly-perfect crime with him is gorgeous beach babe Nancy Hayes (new-comer Sara Foster). But can he trust his newfound yo-yo-drawered friend?
Featuring turgid helmsmanship from George Armitage (last stint in the directors chair, Grosse Point Blank, was vastly superior) and wholly uninspiring screenplay, its only the lush tropical scenery of The Big Bounce that makes it worth watching. It possesses nowhere near enough energy to pass itself off as the thriller it harbours vague ambitions of being, and the comedy side of things, while mildly amusing at times, is never laugh-out-loud funny.
Frankly, everything about this sun-kissed caper is lacklustre. Sure, it has an impressive cast, with frontman Wilson one of the best comic actors of his generation joined by support players like Gary Sinise, Charlie Sheen and Morgan Freeman (who sports a loud shirt and Wham! Tribute earring). But, while watching this lot run around unenthusiastically trying to convince us that theyre involved in some sort of intricate criminal plot, I couldnt help but feel that what I was actually seeing was a bunch of actors on their holidays. And all of it at the viewers expense. Nice gig if you can get it.
It's Got: Me wishing I was in Hawaii too.
It Needs: Plenty of sun bloc.
DVD Extras A trailer, A Con in the Making featurette, and a couple of shorts focussing on surfing (which is a bit strange really, as the movie barely features surfing at all). DVD Extras Rating: 3/10
Summary
Fun in the sun. Just a pity its for the actors, and not for us.