Envy

"Envy" bombed at the box office in 2004, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching (or owning). Jack Black and Ben Stiller play neighbors & best friends in Southern California who work at a sandpaper factory. Black strikes it rich with an invention and builds a vast mansion where his former home was. Of course, this stirs the envy of Stiller who gets mixed-up with an eccentric vagabond, played by Christopher Walken. Amy Poehler and Rachel Weisz play the wives.

While "Envy" isn't very laugh-out-loud funny, it's consistently amusing and the story is good enough to maintain your attention. Walken stands out as the offbeat bum. What I like best is the film's originality; I really can't think of any other films like it. Maybe that's why it bombed. I also like the way "Envy" pokes fun at materialism and everything that goes with it, e.g. envy. In addition, it's nice to watch a comedy like this without overt sleaze and overkill cussing, like 2007's "The Heartbreak Kid" (I don't mind realistic cussing in movies, but when it's overdone it's neither impressive nor funny; it's just stoo-pid and smacks of lazy writing).

Weisz and Poehler are as gorgeous as ever, but they're decidedly peripheral and the filmmakers never take advantage of their presence. Regardless, "Envy" is solid, original amusement.

The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in Santa Clarita, L.A. & Culver Studios, CA, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

GRADE: B

In ENVY, Ben Stiller plays Tim whos neighbor, Nick(Jack Black) invents an item called "Vapoorize". When you spray it on dog poo, it disappears. After vapoorize becomes a hit, Tim get's envious of Nick.

I'm surprised at the terrible reviews this is getting. I mean, I can't say it was more than 2 and a half out of 4, but it wasn't terrible. It was uneven, somewhat funny, a bit flighty, and occasionally realistic. The whole thing with Christopher Walken's role had nothing to do with the story. Whenever he came on screen, I was disappointed. And although this is occasionally funny, due to the cast, it's not funny enough.

ENVY-- **1/2 outta ****

PG-13: language, brief comic violence, and some sexual/crude humor.

Saw it in May 04 when it first came out (yes in an empty theater) and thought it was quietly funny with a moral lesson. Not for everyone but if you like Stiler, Black or Walken, see the movie and judge for yourself. If you are a critic and you are looking for art, forget it. If you are looking for a rainy night rental movie that you can eat some cheap popcorn and diet coke to, then this is a movie you can enjoy. You don't have to think too hard to enjoy the comedy and the moral is easy to pick up on. It won't win any awards nor go down in cinema history as a gem but it's worth the price of the rent and don't forget to rewind. I give it 7 out of 10 Frogs.

I really don't get the hate from this movie, sure it's not an instant classic, but there is some great humor especially at the beginning. I'll admit the humor dies down a bit in the second half, but I still think it was a fun story. If I had not seen the scores here I would have assumed it was at worst a high 5/10 but probably a low 6/10, a 4.8 seems crazy to me.

If you enjoy the actors and like 2000's comedies, I think it makes a great lazy afternoon movie.

If you don't like a dark comedy, don't even watch this movie!

Lots of people are bashing this movie just because it's takes a certain personality to understand and appreciate this type of humor.

Everything in the movie is slightly exaggerated enough to be funny. It was refreshing not to have to swim through dozens of fart jokes or gay jokes.

Jack Black was so over-dramatic (I think that's just the way he is- Lord bless 'im). Ben Stiller plays the bumbling pent-up family man. Both very good actors. And, I must say, Christopher Walken is so wonderfully weird, it was only natural for him to be in this movie. I would make this a purchase- I think it will be like Zoolander- a cult classic in certain circles.