User reviews

By now, we all know the formula of a romantic comedy. The basic framework revolves around a guy meeting a girl, a love triangle, a little white lie and an event that causes them to split before the soggy finale where they kiss and make up, living happily ever after. If you go into a rom-com expecting much more or something that deviates from that path, you'll probably be disappointed. After bar setting movies like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless In Seattle and Four Weddings and a Funeral, the constant stream of lazy efforts in recent years can cause one to be seriously jaded by the genre. So it is with this skepticism and desire to switch off my brain, that I pop Over Her Dead Body into my DVD player. It is apparent from a mere glance at the synopsis that this film will not last long in my memory, change my life or be any kind of profound filmic experience for me, but I was entertained. The script was amusing, the delivery from the four leads (Bell, Rudd, Biggs, Longoria) precise and well timed. The premise was an interesting spin on an oft used plot device.

So what's not to like? An entertaining, funny and endearing romantic comedy. At best, a competent entry into the genre, quite a way ahead of most of it's type and at worst, a movie that feels like a sitcom without a laughter track. As someone who likes sitcoms, that isn't a particularly bad thing. In a nutshell, you could do a lot worse.

Over Her Dead Body was a nice little movie, in general, that wasn't meant to be a masterpiece, but is just for enjoyment when you have nothing better to do, or are going to watch/see a so-so movie with your significant other. It was decent and entertaining, and pretty funny, and by pretty funny I mean there were some little giggles here and there.

There were a few clichés, but I don't really care about that. I found most stuff fresh. At first, I didn't think it was going to be good at all, when it started out. If you can get past the first twenty minutes though, the movie starts getting more interesting. This film wasn't burst out in laughter hilarious, like I said, and wasn't "oh my gosh" wonderful. It was just a movie that you can sit down and enjoy for how enjoyable it was meant to be.

I could understand why some may hate it and think it is very mediocre, but as the lenient movie reviewer I am, I found myself lightening up on it and just having fun, mild fun, but still, fun. There was nothing horrible enough about it to give it a 1/10, in my honest opinion, which that is what a lot of people gave it.

I have to admit that Over Her Dead Body actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting, my mom wanted to see it, so I rented it. I figured just to go ahead and see the horror before my eyes, but actually this wasn't too bad. I was just expecting this horrific movie, but it seems like the writers meant no harm, but the casting of Eva Longoria(Parker, sorry), she seems a little off set for the movie. I think I may have found it to be a little better without her, just she does annoy me. But Paul Rudd and Lake Bell had a decent chemistry that made the film somewhat likable. But you have to admit, there was no point to this movie, it was one of those quick paychecks for the actor type of thing. The movie could've been funnier if someone had really paid attention to it and had a better cast.

Henry just lost his bride to be, Kate, who was killed by an ice sculpture on their wedding day. But when his sister takes him to a psychic, Ashley, Henry falls for her, but Kate is haunting her from beyond the grave. Kate is jealous and doesn't want Henry to move on so quickly and she will make sure that Ashley doesn't get him by torturing her day and night with her rambles, believe me, with Kate's voice, that's scary.

Over Her Dead Body is an alright movie, not sure if it's worth the money, but I'd give it a rental for you if you want to see it or are curious. Eva Longoria just doesn't have enough star power to make the film work, no offense to those who love her, she just belongs on the small screen over the silver screen. Not to mention the character of Ashley, she seems still not too likable with everything she pulls, or her "gay" friend, Dan, just again, not really likable. Just with some re-writing and proper attention, this film could have been better, but instead we get the average predictable romantic comedy that will leave with with an empty feeling.

4/10

I wasn't overly impressed by this movie, mostly because of the script. Hollywood is not very imaginative when it comes to think outside the box, thus all films follow the magic and boring formula of "a beginning, a middle and an end". And when Hollywood decides to go wild and add something else to that concept, it usually ends up spoiling the movie. They did it in this flick. I'm not about to reveal anything but it has to do with Jason Biggs character.

Still, the movie has it's moments. All ghost movies has that in common that there comes a time when a medium or similar relates what the ghost is saying to a loved one who can't see it. We saw it done better in "Ghost" with Demi More, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg, and more recently in much funnier movie "Ghosttown", with Ricky Gervais. This movie has that scene too, but the disappointing script passes over it too quickly and with not much result for the plot.

The highlight of the movie is the acting of two leads; Paul Rudd and the surprisingly funny Lake Bell.

I've long had a growing admiration for Rudd, who has developed a style similar to that of Chevy Chase at his best. If ever a serious production of sequels to the Fletch movies gets a green light, the casting agent would do wisely in considering Rudd.

Lake Bell is rather new to me, and I was severely impressed by her comedy talent. She could easily be pictured in over-the-top comedy things and take on a female lead over Jim Carreys character in "Dumb & dumber" or Ben Stillers in "There's something about Mary". The Farrelly brothers could have a new star in her.

In conclusion, this film was watchable. "Ghosttown" is a better movie in all considerations, but Rudd and Bell are a joy.

Actually my vote is a 7.5. Anyway, the movie was good, it has those funny parts that make it deserve to see it, don't misunderstand me, is not the funniest movie of the world, and its not even original because its a idea that we have seen before in other movies, but this one has its own taste, a friend of mine told me that this was a film for boyfriends... I think that not exactly but who cares? Also there is another movie that show us almost the same topic, Chris Rock appears in it, the name is Down to Earth, men, that one its a very funny movie, see both if you want and I know that you will agree that Mr. Rock won with his movie. I would liked that the protagonist male character were given to Ashton Kutcher, however, the film is good.

Okay, it's not that terrible a movie but it felt pretty dead. There is just no soul and no chemistry (two very important ingredients for rom-coms). Moreover the story fails to stay focused as it wonders whether to focus on Eva and Lake's battle or Lake and Paul's love story. As someone mentioned, it tires to combine 'How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days' and 'Just Like Heaven' (both movies which I enjoyed) but fails to reach that level. None of the characters are likable. I found them to be quite irritating. The only bright light here is some of the comedy which manages to get some chuckles. Eva Longoria repeats her Gabrielle Solis act (of 'Desperate Housewives') except that this time her character is dead. She does provide some eye candy and is funny in some sequences. Paul Rudd looks careless throughout the entire movie. Lake Bell, though she doesn't act bad, there is something missing. Jason Biggs does well with what he's given. 'Over Her Dead Body' is just a weak and forgettable movie.

With movies like this you know you are going to get the usual jokes concerning ghosts. Eva as a ghost is pretty funny. And the other actors also do a good job. It is the direction and the story that is lacking. That could have been overlooked had the jokes worked better. The problem only is that there aren't many jokes. Sure I laughed a couple of times. Apart from the talking parrot there wasn't an ounce of creativity to be noticed in the movie. I blame the director not using the premise to it's full potential. Eva certainly has the comedic skill to show more but did not get the opportunity to do so. Overall this movie is ideal for a Sunday afternoon. Other than that it can be skipped completely.

i wasn't a fan of seeing this movie at all, but when my gf called me and said she had a free advanced screening pass i tagged along only for the sake of seeing eva longoria and laughing at jason biggs antics.

overall it was actually better then i expected but not by much. this was like a hybrid of how to lose a guy in 10 days and just like heaven. a typical romantic comedy with its moments i guess. the movie was quite short though (around 85 min.) but it was enough to tell the whole story, build some character development and have a decent happy ending. the whole idea of a ghost haunting its former husband was a interesting plot to follow. eva did a good job of keeping up the sarcasm and paul rudd and the rest of the supporting cast (especially jason biggs) kept the laughs coming at a smooth pace.

overall i liked the movie only because it had a good amount of laughs to keep me going otherwise i would have given this movie a lower rating. hey its a chick flick and i'm reviewing this movie from a guy's persepctive alright, it would be more of a fair fight if females reviewied this movie and gave there thoughts about it.

I gave it a 1 only because I couldn't figure out how to rate it what it deserves - a ZERO!

Contrived, ridiculous, and incredibly stupid, this is the front-runner for worst film of 2008.

It makes Eva Longoria unattractive, Paul Rudd unfunny, and Jason Biggs even more annoying than usual.

The ghost returns to ruin the guy she "loves' chance a future happiness because she loves him so much?

There's no chemistry, no humor, and no reason for this film to exist other than to pay for the summer homes of these stars.

I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out of the audience and tell us we'd all been Punk'd!

You can read my full review for the "film" at RazorFine Review.

Was this the greatest movie that I have ever seen? No. Was it the worst? No.

As a mother of four kids, it is nice to watch something that was light and amusing. It was great, but it was cute.

I think that it definitely had some room to improve, but it tried.

I am not sure if this movie deserves the extreme level of abuse from the other reviewer. They obviously do not care for Eva Longoria. I think that she was better in this than in The Sentinel. I think that movies are a matter of opinion. The actors play a huge role in whether it is a hit or a flop.

Maybe the cast did not work out. Maybe there were too many things going on.

I just wanted to speak up for an average movie, not a terrible one. It could just be a chick flick. Kind of like the movie The Split-Up or French Kiss. My husband still talks about those. :)

Look it's Eva Longoria and Paul Rudd in a movie about a dead girlfriend haunting the new girlfriend. It's Gabrielle from Desperate Housewives and the guy who wore "sex Panther cologne" in Anchorman. If you are expecting a Golden Globe nominated movie then you need to rethink how you look at movies. However, if you are willing to suspend reality for 90 minutes and want to watch a funny movie then you've come to the right place. The characters are all funny. They work together very well. The real match up is Paul Rudd and Lake Bell. He's as funny as he was on Friends and she was funny and good looking all at the same time. I went with my wife, she enjoyed it and so did I.

This is a great film.

I agreed to watch a chick flick and some how ended up with this. I had never heard of it or anyone in it (excpet Mike from Friends).

But it is great! Eva, Lake and Paul give amazing performances. The humour is consistently dry and witty.

Paul Rudd pretty much plays the mike character from Friends (which works great). The other characters are stereotypes and the plot is formulaic (I mean we are not talking 'Apocalypse Now' here) But the characters are likable, the story is engaging, the soundtrack, production and direction all work well.

In all a great feel-good film that really deserves a lot more credit than it gets.

Everyone has their own tastes but I really don't understand the one star reviews for this.

*Watched again in 2022* This is still great!

Eva Longoria still steals the show and I still chuckled all the way through.

I went into this film thinking it would be a crappy b-rated movie. I came out surprised and very amused. Eva was good, but Lake Bell stole the show. She had amazing comedic timing. The jokes in this film were surprisingly original and really funny with one or two flat jokes in between. The plot was enough to tie it all together, a woman (Eva) dies on her wedding day and comes back to haunt the woman that is going out with her was-to-be husband, its sounds far-fetched but it actually works quite well.

7/10 - Overall its a worthwhile cinema watch, if not get it on DVD when it comes out.

Well, it hit the spot so good that I just had to write about it.

I rarely felt so unambiguous about a movie, there's always something that bugs me but not at all with this one, not for a moment, from start to finish it made me forget about myself and anything else; the story flows softly, the acting is perfect, so natural and the shots are luminous, warm, beautiful. It was a funny and sweet experience that I really needed.

"So there's this bride, you see, and she gets crushed to death by this statue that falls on her on the day of her wedding. Then, get this, a year later, her former fiancé falls in love with a beautiful psychic… and then, that beautiful psychic gets haunted by the ghost of the disgruntled dead bride who wants to keep her from stealing her boyfriend…he he…it'll be hilarious!." Polite chuckling.

This, I like to envision, is how Jeff Lowell, the man who dreamed up "Over Her Dead Body," presented his concept to the studio execs over there at New Line Cinema. The big mystery is how those very same corporate bigwigs could then turn right around and green light the project, allowing Lowell to direct the film as well as write the screenplay.

For if you think that no movie could ever possibly be as bad as this original premise sounds, then clearly you have another think coming. The only way in which it might have worked is if the writer had simply gone crazy with it and turned it into a no-holds-barred satirical farce. Instead, wanting to ensure that he delivered a fuzzy, inoffensive and warmhearted romantic comedy, Lowell engages in boring half-measures every step of the way, tamping down the absurdity in favor of drab conventionality. Indeed, "Over Her Dead Body" is so thoroughly inept and unfunny that it's hard to know where exactly Lowell thought he was going with it. Virtually every set-up, joke and sight gag in the film is flat-footed and poorly executed, with even the actors themselves seemingly aware of their predicament. How else to explain the halfhearted, lifeless performances of Paul Rudd, Eva Langoria Parker, Lake Bell and Jason Biggs in their various roles?

I choose not to blame the actors, some of whom have proved their talents in better vehicles in the past (that is particularly the case with Rudd). But Lowell and those studio execs sure have some 'splainin' to do.

Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart Katharine Hepburn, Caludette Colbert, etc. have nothing to worry about (let alone Howard Hawks or George Cukor), but the screwball genre they worked so well in definitely inspires "Over Her Dead Body."\

Beware Eva Langoria Parker's top billing -- Lake Bell is at least as important (and, in my mind, more appealing) in the film. That said, it's 90 minutes of harmless fun, with a nice little cameo by Stephen Root (from NewsRadio and Office Space, among other credits). The whole supporting cast, mostly unfamiliar to me, is quite good.

My favorite scene is between the Bell character's assistant and another guy toward the end of the film, with repercussions that carry on.

I watched this stinker to see how the ghost was handled. The answer is very badly. Eva Longoria is a horrible actress and brings all her wooden skills to bear in this mess of a movie. The writing was terrible as was the direction. No surprise it was the same person doing both jobs badly. Lake Bell is not able to deliver a line with any kind of real emotion and this makes it painful to watch her act. I hope she had some success as a model as that is what she should be doing, not acting. This film left me feeling that the entire crew were all getting their 1st job in the business in this movie. It surprises me that Paul Rudd agreed to be in this. He must have been paying off a bet and didn't get to read the screenplay first. I watch a lot of movies and worked in the business for years so do have a good handle on what works and what doesn't. I can't say enough about how bad this is. Do not torture yourself with this nightmare.

In complete contrast to the opinions of the other review, this film actually was surprisingly good! I reluctantly went to see it and expected to be bored by clichés, obvious jokes and overacting, all of which the trailer had promised.

However, after 5 minutes in I found myself genuinely laughing and enjoying the refreshing acting. With only one 'toilet humour' gag, Over Her Dead Body manages to actually come up with realistically funny scenarios and, without spoiling anything too much, some of the moments involving animals are hilarious.

The staple ingredients of a good film are all there; script, director and actors and compared some other recent attempts at romantic comedy, this film stands tall.

Sure, you aren't going to learn anything or have a spiritual awakening, but if you go with an open mind you will more than likely have a good time!

Kate (Eva Longoria) gets iced at her wedding. This does not stop her from coming back as a ghost to squelch any new romantic interests in her almost-husband Henry (Paul Rudd.) Psychic Ashley (Lake Bell is one of the potential romantic interests. Someone is about to be squelched.

This is a standard comedy that is no better or worse than the next in the genre.

You can cut and paste any contemporary actor in the character spot and it would be the same. There is no extraordinary chemistry. There is no extraordinary insight. It is just plain fun to kibitz on saying "do not do that."

You have got to be kidding. I cannot believe that Eva agreed to do a film like this. I know that there is a need for money but some people need to really make sure that the choices of films they act in are worthy. And the title tells it all. There is too much silliness, too much overacting and repetitive lines. The entire plot is something for a child to watch. Even the movie Jack frost was more worthy than this one. Eva need to stick to and improve on Desperate Housewives. I hope that this isn't a trend amongst the actresses from DH...because if it is, we are surely in for horrible summer.

This is a no brainer. Save your money and your time for something worthwhile.

I have nothing good to say about this movie at all. I did like the plot, it had a lot of potential but I felt that it wasn't made well and that it was too predictable. I was bored for the most part. It was more filled with stupidity than humor. There were so many stupid occurrences in this flick. First off, how Eva Longoria died- ridiculous! Second, Lake Bell's best friend's/assistant's situation. I don't want to give anything away but again, ridiculous.

The acting was terrible, not convincing at all. I felt like I was watching some kids at a Junior High School production. The ending was very predicable because there is just no other way to end the movie. It wasn't very creative.

Overall, the film was unoriginal and dull. That is an hour and a half of my life that I will never get back. I shouldn't have sat through that entire movie. Question-how was this released?