Hall Pass (D+ or 1/4 stars)
'Hall Pass' (directed by the Farrelly Bros.) gets no pass from me. Rick & Maggie (Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer) have been together for 20 yrs. & have 3 children. Fred & Grace (Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate) have been together for nearly 20 yrs., but have no children. Both marriages are stale (like this film). Maggie fakes sleeping to avoid sex. Rick fantasizes about their 20 yr. old babysitter & gazes at the sexy blonde Aussie barista (Nicky Whelan) at the local coffee shop. When Maggie & Grace complain about their marriages to their psychologist friend (Joy Behar), they receive an interesting nugget of advice ... given their husbands a 'hall pass' for one week. For one week, they get a vacation from marriage; free to do whatever they want!
Initially, the guys are ecstatic at the idea & plan to take action (how disgusting). But before long, disillusionment starts to set in (that they can't keep up with the frat boy generation. i.e., they think picking up women at an Applebees is a viable option, haha). Meanwhile, Maggie, her kids, & Grace head for a cottage at the Cape while Rick & Fred (their generic names befitting the film). And while the husbands take their time as the clock ticks down, little do they know that at the same time ... their wives are thinking about engaging in extramarital activities of their own.
My fellow critic friend, Kevin, is very opinionated of this film. One of his quotes: "I will complain further about the film's mean-spirited tone …and I have perspective about this because I am recently married. You know what I would do if my wife gave me a week off from marriage to do with what I want? I would go see 3 movies a day, play Lord of the Rings Online, & sit alone & count the hours until the week is over & my wife comes home. You know why? I love my wife!!". To this, I can't directly comment - as I am not married. But what I CAN say about this film is: it's bad - not just because of Kevin's quote, but simply, for me, because it's damn boring! Poop jokes, pot brownies, body fluids, mean-spirited moments ... all thrown into the story to spice the film up ... because it's boring.
Owen Wilson is a milquetoast, here. Wilson can be very, very funny. He can also be irritating. Here, he's neither -- a nothing. I like the realization he comes to by the end of the film (he's caught in a mid-life crisis, yet still loves his wife). But really, that's all I got. Jenna Fischer is another 'nothing' for me. I've never liked her, & I've never disliked her. Jason Sudeikis, normally funny on SNL, is fairly ineffective, as well. I loathed every secondary character. I didn't care for the Farrelly Bros. script (which was, at one time, edgy, but now lame). There's nothing sexy about it. And other than a few scattered laughs or chuckles here & there, or some scattered gross-out stuff (most of which I disliked), I was just incredibly bored by 'Hall Pass'.
Initially, the guys are ecstatic at the idea & plan to take action (how disgusting). But before long, disillusionment starts to set in (that they can't keep up with the frat boy generation. i.e., they think picking up women at an Applebees is a viable option, haha). Meanwhile, Maggie, her kids, & Grace head for a cottage at the Cape while Rick & Fred (their generic names befitting the film). And while the husbands take their time as the clock ticks down, little do they know that at the same time ... their wives are thinking about engaging in extramarital activities of their own.
My fellow critic friend, Kevin, is very opinionated of this film. One of his quotes: "I will complain further about the film's mean-spirited tone …and I have perspective about this because I am recently married. You know what I would do if my wife gave me a week off from marriage to do with what I want? I would go see 3 movies a day, play Lord of the Rings Online, & sit alone & count the hours until the week is over & my wife comes home. You know why? I love my wife!!". To this, I can't directly comment - as I am not married. But what I CAN say about this film is: it's bad - not just because of Kevin's quote, but simply, for me, because it's damn boring! Poop jokes, pot brownies, body fluids, mean-spirited moments ... all thrown into the story to spice the film up ... because it's boring.
Owen Wilson is a milquetoast, here. Wilson can be very, very funny. He can also be irritating. Here, he's neither -- a nothing. I like the realization he comes to by the end of the film (he's caught in a mid-life crisis, yet still loves his wife). But really, that's all I got. Jenna Fischer is another 'nothing' for me. I've never liked her, & I've never disliked her. Jason Sudeikis, normally funny on SNL, is fairly ineffective, as well. I loathed every secondary character. I didn't care for the Farrelly Bros. script (which was, at one time, edgy, but now lame). There's nothing sexy about it. And other than a few scattered laughs or chuckles here & there, or some scattered gross-out stuff (most of which I disliked), I was just incredibly bored by 'Hall Pass'.