Review: Envy (2004)

Envy (2004)

FAIL

COMEDY
U.S. Release Date: 04/30/04
Running Length: 99 Minutes
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Cast: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Weisz, Amy Poehler, Christopher Walken
Director: Barry Levinson
Screenplay: Steve Adams
Cinematography: Tim Maurice-Jones
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh
U.S. Distributor: DreamWorks Studios

Review by: Carter Moulton

1/14/09

Envy is one clunker of a film. It’s forced and generally unfunny, but that’s the least of its woes. Containing every brainless poop joke you can think of, it becomes an obviously desperate picture within its first ten minutes. Each scene tries so hard make us laugh that it feels more like a Saturday Night Live skit than a motion picture. Watching it is a bizarre experience because, on paper, Envy has the blueprint of a likeable comedy. Director Barry Levinson (Rain Man—yes, the four star film), while inconsistent, is more than capable, and Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Rachel Wiesz, Amy Poehler, and Christopher Walken are all likeable, if not lovable. So how does Envy fail on so many levels?

Summarizing the plot is basically an insult to everyone, but I’ll carry on anyway. Tim (Ben Stiller) and Nick (Jack Black) are best friends. They work at a sandpaper factory and have uninspired lives. Tim sticks to the rules; Nick daydreams. One day, Nick comes up with an ingenious idea: poop-erasing-spray. Called “Vapoorize”, it makes any poop disappear with one squirt. I feel like a moron describing this, but, again, I’ll continue.

Tim is skeptical, asking the logical question: “Where does the poop go?” He decides not to invest in the product, so when America falls in love with “Vapoorize” and Nick becomes tremendously rich, he becomes "envious". There’s your story—minus a subplot about a senseless hobo named “J-Man” (played by Christopher Walken). He befriends Tim at the local bar and, as you’ll find, has his own motives. An example of the films desperation: Nick buys a white horse named “Corky” (who knows why), and Tim—drunk as can be—accidentally shoots it with an arrow. He tries to hide the deceased horse by burying it in his backyard. Steve Adams screenplay scrapes the bottom of the barrel in every scene, making it almost shameful to be entertained by Envy.

The film’s 99-minute runtime seems like an eternity because it’s so contrived. There are a couple of humorous moments (thanks to Ben Stiller), but not nearly enough to merit a viewing. Rachel Weisz and Amy Poehler play the wives of Tim and Nick, respectively, but they aren’t given much material to work with. The film is a perfect example of lackluster filmmaking accompanied by an immature script. It proves that even with star power, you need substance to make a quality movie. If “Vapoorize” existed, I’d spray some over Envy and watch it disappear.