The Heartbreak Kid
Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Cast: Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Malin Akerman, Michelle Monaghan
Extras: Commentary Track, Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer
Rating:
When the Farrelly brothers get warmed up, there is no holding back. Again and again they prove that the know exactly to make an audience laugh and how shock them at the same time by constantly pushing the boundaries of their bizarre – sometimes gross-out – humor. Here now we have their latest piece of work, "The Heartbreak Kid," which teams them up with Ben Stiller once again.
Eddie (Ben Stiller) has a problem. He is 40 years old and simply cannot commit to relationships. In fact, he can't really even commit to dating or meeting women since his break-up with his former girlfriend years ago.
His dad (Jerry Stiller) and his best friend are constantly on his back about finding a nice girl and getting serious but Eddie prefers to dwell on the past and even goes as far as visiting his ex-girlfriend's wedding.
Then one day he meets the sexy Lila (Malin Akerman) on the street and is immediately smitten by her charm. They meet a few times and romance begins to bloom. When she tells him that she has to leave for Europe for a research project. Eddie begins to panic. Despite his better judgment he asks her to marry him to make sure she won't leave. But as soon as they begin their Honeymoon trip to Cabo, Eddie can't shake the feeling that he made a terrible mistake. It turns out that he knew absolutely nothing about Lila and that the real her is not exactly someone he wants to grow old with.
Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), a girl he meets in Cabo, would be much more his dream candidate, and so he begins to sneak out and spend time with Miranda, trying to find a way to leave Lila.
The film touches upon an interesting subject that we all are familiar with – making a commitment and then having second thoughts about it. Whether it is a relationship or something as trivial as purchasing something we immediately regret having bought, the movie builds on this familiar feeling if guilt and takes it to unknown heights. Ben Stiller is the perfect candidate for the part of course and Malin Akerman works great as the sexy beauty with a few dark secrets – which she brings in the open at the most inopportune times as if they were nothing more than a breadcrumb on the table.
While the film is certainly not revolutionary and not always totally funny, there are some phenomenal laughs in it, many of which can be attributed to their unexpectedness. Something may flash across the screen for a second and you think to yourself "Was that what I just thought it was?" The next thing you know is that you're cracking up laughing.
Dreamworks Home Entertainment has put together a top-notch package here with a beautiful 1080p high definition transfer that sparkles with color and detail. Black levels are absolutely solid, rendering a visually deep image that holds a lot of detail. Fine textures are wonderfully reproduced and the colors are rich and vibrant, putting you into a real vacation spirit once the film settles in Cabo.
The movie is complemented by a DTS 5.1 HD audio track that is every bit as good as you would expect. Equally good are the Dolby Digital tracks that are also included, as all of them have good spatial integration and a wide frequency response.
As extras you will find a commentary track on the disc, featuring the Farrelly Brothers. It is fully of insight, information and some great anecdotes.
The disc also offers up a selection deleted scenes and a gag reel, which will crack you up.
A few featurettes are also included, covering a few interesting aspects of the production, including a featurette on "Ben & Jerry," referring of course to Ben Stiller and his father Jerry, both of whom appear in the film. But there;s a lot more, such as "The Farrelly Brothers in The French Tradition" and "Heartbreak Halloween."
"The Heartbreak Kid" goes down exactly the same alley as "There's Something About Mary" did, so if you liked that movie, you will love "The Heartbreak Kid." The film may not be for everyone with its in-your-face humor and strong sexual innuendo. But if you're not easily offended, get yourself a copy and have a blast.
