Tower Heist may boast a famous cast, but it is one that would have had more pull in the late 90’s than it does in 2011. Ben Stiller stars as a hotel manager who falls victim to a Ponzi scheme, losing the pension money for his entire staff. In a desperate move to regain the money, he assembles a team of everyday guys to steal the money back from his mogul boss, who perpetrated the crime. Stiller’s team consists of a convicted criminal (Eddie Murphy), an evicted resident (Matthew Broderick), a concierge (Casey Affleck) and a bellhop (Michael Pena). The best way I can describe the group dynamic is Oceans 11 with idiots, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for audiences.
For the most part, the comedy never goes too far beyond the family-friendly category. These are rarer now with the success of The Hangover and Judd Apatow comedies, but they are still relevant. Murphy does well as the comedic lead giving an edge to his performance while still being likeable. Stiller, who plays the lead character is more of a straight man on the comedy radar, but he still has his moments. Of the supporting actors, Pena is the most successful at bringing about laughs. His clueless character starts off on the annoying side, but quickly becomes the focus during some of the funniest moments.
After running smoothly for most of the film, the script slows a bit during the final act. Tower Heist never tries to reinvent comedy or push the boundaries, but it keeps in mind that it is possible to be funny without causing others to be grossed out. The comedy pairing of Stiller and Murphy keeps the film on track. So even when the audience isn’t laughing, they tend to be smiling. If the budget was smaller the film could have been a home run for the studio. (7.5 out of 10)
No comments:
Post a Comment