The Heartbreak Kid

Director: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
Year Released: 2007
Rating: 2.0

Crude remake of the 1972 Neil Simon/Elaine May film that puts Ben Stiller in the Charles Grodin role and has him marrying (after years of waiting) but coming to the realization the person he married wasn't who he thought she was. Comparisons to the masterful original aren't exactly fair (though not unexpected) as the Farrelly Brothers aren't trying for the intellect of that film, but they can be blamed for faulty character development: they're too busy making Stiller out to be the victim and the nice guy when he is anything but, and they aren't beyond an endless parade of dull jokes about Mexicans and homosexuality (which, incidentally, is the cornerstone of Carlos Mencia's 'act'). Despite the abundance of bad gags, there are a handful of inspired moments (the bedroom antics of Ms. Malin Akerman are noteworthy; Stiller's debasement knows no end) keeping this from the 'disaster' section, and I'd argue it's one of the (relatively) better Ben Stiller outings in forever (though his supporting cast - including pal Rob Corddry and Dad Jerry - contribute a good deal).