Dick und Jane

In previews and early reviews this movie was called "one of the funniest movies ever" and I was eager to see it. But after a while it began to get called "the worst Jim Carrey movie ever". I still thought I should see it, being a big Jim Carrey fan, plus I haven't always agreed with the critics. After seeing it I can't say it's the funniest movie ever, but it definitely isn't the worst.

I have not seen the original version, but I'm sure there are some modern plot twists and of course original jokes. There are plenty of gags and funny situations that kept me entertained throughout and some really good ones that made me laugh hysterically. Many comedies are very silly which makes them so funny, but people have said that this movie is just silly and not funny at all, I can't agree. While there are some small parts that are just silly, the rest are not.

Acting wise it is quite good. Jim Carrey does his trademark craziness well in this one. The rest of the cast do well too.

Overall it's a funny, entertaining movie. If you feel like a light comedy with some good laughs, ignore the harsh critics and go and see it.

"Fun with Dick and Jane" reflects, in many ways, what's wrong with our society. We watch in disbelief as more and more CEOs are hauled up to jail and how these unscrupulous people leave their once valued employees to fend for themselves, as best they can.

Dan Perisot directs this remake of the 1977 Jane Fonda-George Segal vehicle and brings it up to date. He counts with two actors that are popular to present this new installment in a funny way, Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni in the main roles.

Poor Dick finds out in the worst way the job he held has just disappeared and must face reality. Dick and Jane must deal with their sudden status as they see their electricity cut, their housekeeper deserts them and Dick suffers the indignity of having to compete with other unemployed, former colleagues, for jobs that aren't half as glamorous as the vice-presidency he almost had.

What's a desperate man to do? Well, being a resourceful man, he must do what he has to. Jane and Dick start a path into taking the law into their own hands.

In a way, Mr. Carrey, one of the producers, mixes a serious problem with his kind of comedy. Jim Carrey is one of the best comedians working in movies today, but he also has an enormous talent for doing some serious dramatic work, as he has already proved. He is a dynamo in the film and turns the situation Dick is facing into fun, in his own way.

Tea Leoni, is equally suited to play Jane, the travel agent who suddenly sees all those comforts she was used to, disappear, and must adapt to her new circumstances. Ms. Leoni and Mr. Carrey do some funny things together, making the film look much better than what could have been. The supporting players, mainly Alec Baldwin and Richard Jenkins make good contributions to the film.

"Fun with Dick and Jane" is a typical example of those holiday themed films the studios love to unload at the end of the year.

I think the reason why this film wasn't so well-received was because of its serious theme as people expected it to be an out-and-out comedy. However, I think it touches on some very relevant issues, especially today when the economy is at a recession where people are losing their jobs, their houses and slowly everything they own. But coming, back to the comedy element, there's plenty of that and a lot to laugh about so I still don't understand all the negativity towards this fun movie. For me the funniest sequence was the swollen mouth sequence. Carrey and Leoni are awesome together. They make a great comedic pair on screen. Richard Jenkins is terrific too and Alec Baldwin isn't bad either. I haven't watched the original version but I saw an interview of Jim Carrey where he mentions that the movie is more relevant today than it was in 1977. I couldn't agree more.

Jim Carrey is hard to beat in a role like this. He looks like the all American yuppie - tall, clean shaven, well dressed, and in control of his life - and his comedic delivery has been refined into a polished riff. All is believable when he lets loose because you know this is a guy who has a great sense of humor and he can get you to laugh until you lose your breath without grossing you out or making you groan at absurd silliness. Even while prancing or jabbing the air or contorting his face, Carrey is - hands down - the sexiest comedian on screen today. Tea Leoni is a good match for him because she too can be sexy while doing pratfalls or ending up with mud on her face. This is a dream coupling that should be repeated in more light comedies the way William Powell & Myrna Loy were paired in The Thin Man series.

I found this remake head and shoulders above the original because it had far more energy and there was more 'sympatico' in the match of personalities of Dick & Jane. The new version also has a much more important message about corporate shenanigans and its grave impact on modern society. The film moves at a quick pace and was too short for me, but that's only because I didn't want to leave these characters. They became that fun couple you always invite to your get-togethers because they are the life of every party.

This is the story of Dick, an ambitious marketing executive which is promoted to the top just on the day his corporation implodes due to some embezzlement scheme. The first 15 minutes (Dick's ascent) are really very, very funny - that's Jim Carrey at his best.

The movie's best part is when you see Dick and his wife falling all the way to level where survival is really a struggle - this is actually very moving. Their ensuing blotched criminal career is on the other hand not so funny as you might expect -- you have the feeling that this is a very good serious movie trying to be funny just to meet the public's expectations.