The reason for renting this movie was a very good review in the UK music/movie megazine UNCUT (i said MEGAzine...Brit mags are totally superior to magazines here).
Then I saw a FULL PAGE ad for the UK theatrical release of Double Whammy for August of 2003. The ad called Double Whammy a 4 Star Film. The British critics loved this movie. I am not going to rehash their review here...this is my review. I could not determine why a movie ignored here in the US is suddenly big news across the pond.
I must be missing something. This reminded me of Leary's vastly superior but short-lived show "The JOB" which was an ensemble show of good comedy actors doing a non-laughtrack NY Cop Show. I would buy a DVD set of "THE JOB" right away. At times this movie plays like a busted-pilot version of "The Job" (ABC).
Double Whammy I'd buy on ebay for $10 or less. First off this LionsGate DVD is total bare-bones. Not even a trailer! Just sub-titles and the movie.
The movie is mildly entertaining. I gave it a 6 here on imdb.
Dennis Leary plays a world weary cop. He's fine but not agressive like he was in The Job. Here's he just accepts his fate and gets kicked around a lot. This is Dennis Leary-Lite.
Leary's character is a down on his luck cop with a lot of back pain. Circumstances make him a laughing stock of New York and he has to deal with that and his back troubles. He lives in a apartment building with Luis Guzman as The Super. Guzman's daughter argues with him all the time over getting a tattoo(!).
Add to that 2 other building tenants who get a LOT of screentime and 2 wacky thugs who make this movie violent.
Victor Argo as Leary's boss is funny; I wish he had been in more of the movie. Instead he's given the role of "superior who chews out cop in office". Something we see in countless cops and buddy-cop movies.
Chris Noth (Mr. Big in Sex and the City) as a stuck up cop (horribly overdressed) is okay. Noth's character is named 'Chick Dimitri'; how's that for odd? Steve Buscemi is almost wasted as Leary's partner yet he's 3rd billed with not enough screen time. Luis Guzman is strictly cannon fodder here and spends half his screen time near death.
Liz Hurley is good but looked sexier in Bedazzled. Here she looks like she's slumming for some cab fare.
The rest of the cast is nothing special. I hate spoiling a movie but this is a 2 star film. It might be 4 Star to some UK critics but not to me.
Rent at your own risk
Then I saw a FULL PAGE ad for the UK theatrical release of Double Whammy for August of 2003. The ad called Double Whammy a 4 Star Film. The British critics loved this movie. I am not going to rehash their review here...this is my review. I could not determine why a movie ignored here in the US is suddenly big news across the pond.
I must be missing something. This reminded me of Leary's vastly superior but short-lived show "The JOB" which was an ensemble show of good comedy actors doing a non-laughtrack NY Cop Show. I would buy a DVD set of "THE JOB" right away. At times this movie plays like a busted-pilot version of "The Job" (ABC).
Double Whammy I'd buy on ebay for $10 or less. First off this LionsGate DVD is total bare-bones. Not even a trailer! Just sub-titles and the movie.
The movie is mildly entertaining. I gave it a 6 here on imdb.
Dennis Leary plays a world weary cop. He's fine but not agressive like he was in The Job. Here's he just accepts his fate and gets kicked around a lot. This is Dennis Leary-Lite.
Leary's character is a down on his luck cop with a lot of back pain. Circumstances make him a laughing stock of New York and he has to deal with that and his back troubles. He lives in a apartment building with Luis Guzman as The Super. Guzman's daughter argues with him all the time over getting a tattoo(!).
Add to that 2 other building tenants who get a LOT of screentime and 2 wacky thugs who make this movie violent.
Victor Argo as Leary's boss is funny; I wish he had been in more of the movie. Instead he's given the role of "superior who chews out cop in office". Something we see in countless cops and buddy-cop movies.
Chris Noth (Mr. Big in Sex and the City) as a stuck up cop (horribly overdressed) is okay. Noth's character is named 'Chick Dimitri'; how's that for odd? Steve Buscemi is almost wasted as Leary's partner yet he's 3rd billed with not enough screen time. Luis Guzman is strictly cannon fodder here and spends half his screen time near death.
Liz Hurley is good but looked sexier in Bedazzled. Here she looks like she's slumming for some cab fare.
The rest of the cast is nothing special. I hate spoiling a movie but this is a 2 star film. It might be 4 Star to some UK critics but not to me.
Rent at your own risk