The incredibly high success rate of Kevin James is at risk with his latest, The Dilemma and that’s a streak I am rooting for. In this venture, James stars alongside Vince Vaughn as friends and business partners on the verge of a big business deal. Though Vaughn’s character is faced with the titular problem when he witnesses his friend’s wife, played by Wynonna Ryder kissing another man, played by Channing Tatum.
Following that, the film is centered on awkward event after awkward event. Some are funny and others are cringe-worthy. The latter proves to be even more effective in causing discomfort because of its evolution from the nice and carefree opening to events like Channing Tatum bashing Vaughn’s antique car with a baseball bat. But in the long haul, Vaughn and James’ likeability overshadows the disaster situations.
The chemistry however is a bit misguided. Vaughn and Tatum prove to be the most successful combination while their characters are supposed to be opposites. James and Ryder are never really believable as a couple, but that is due to the fact that Ryder seems like such a witch. Individually the actors all do relatively well.
The Dilemma’s script begins rather slowly. I dare say that when the movie inevitably airs on TBS in a few years, the viewers at home may change the channel before the plot really gets going. The middle portion is the strength, which builds the awkward story. It then slows back down near the resolution. The inconsistent pacing makes the film seem much longer than it actually is. This is not Vaughn or James’ best work, but surprisingly it is one of Tatum’s best. The movie is an enjoyable and a successful take on disaster comedy. It’s not a classic but there are laughs. (7.5 out of 10)
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