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The Whole Ten Yards (PG-13, 2004)

common sense media says

This appalling mess of a movie just isn't funny.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is violent for a PG-13, with characters who are hired assassins. There is fighting and gunplay and characters are shot and killed. Some of this is intended to be humorous. Characters use strong language and drink, including getting drunk. This is supposed to be humorous. Characters use strong language. There are sexual references and situations, including off-screen sex vividly portrayed through sound and two naked men waking up in bed together wondering what happened. This is supposed to be humorous. It isn't.

Positive messages: Characters are hired assassins. Some tasteless humor.
Violence: Characters are hitmen; fighting, gunplay, characters killed.
Sex: Implied nudity, sexual situation.
Language: Some strong language.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Drinking and smoking, including comic intoxication.
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More on The Whole Ten Yards

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about why this movie is such an awful failure.

What's the story?

What's the story?
Scaredy-cat dentist Oz (Matthew Perry), retired hit man Jimmy (Bruce Willis), former dental receptionist/current wife of Jimmy/wannabe hit person Jill (Amanda Peet), and former wife of Jimmy Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge) -- who's now married to Oz -- are all back for this sequel to The Whole Nine Yards. The story gets rolling when Cynthia is kidnapped by Lazlo Gogolak (Kevin Pollak), who wants Oz to reveal where Jimmy's hiding. Turns out that back when he was a hit man, Jimmy killed someone very close to Gogolak, who's out for revenge.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Could it BE any more atrocious? This appalling mess of a movie takes the definition of "not funny" to a new low. The gravitational pull of its massive lack of humor is so strong that if you listen carefully you may be able to hear it sucking comedy out of funny movies right this minute. There is no story. There are no jokes. All we get is Oz slamming into walls and a lot of failed attempts at hitman humor and a lot of anticipation with no pay-off whatsoever.

Kevin Pollack provides a couple of bright moments as bad-guy Lazlo, brother of the bad guy killed off in the last movie (also played by Pollack). But the rest of THE WHOLE TEN YARDS is nothing but the sound of one failed joke after another. The dialogue is terrible. The physical humor is almost painfully bad. The plot is muddled and incoherent. Perhaps the most painful is the movie's timing, which in overly optimistic fashion leaves moments for audience laughter that never comes, so there are excruciating sags in momentum after every quip and pratfall.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Howard Deutch
Cast: Amanda Peet, Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 99 minutes
Theatrical release: April 9, 2004
DVD release: July 27, 2004
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: sexual content, some violence and language
This review was written by Nell Minow
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

mikee990
adult
 
13+
Not worth the time. A lot of funny cracks but not worth it. sex 4-5. violence 3-5. languege 3-5.
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helped me decide (7) | had useful details (8) | read my mind (6)
mstngsal23
adult
 
Glad My 13 yr old didn't see this!
This movie was a confusing mess. It had extreme violence, drinking to drown sorrows (yeah, that's the way!), male nudity (rear) and references to homosexual sex. There is no way this should be rated pg13!
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was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (8) | read my mind (6)

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