Rob Calvert posted on August 14, 2009
Starring: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin, David Koechner, Ed Helms
There was a MAJOR push for THE GOODS here in Philadelphia, but apparently no place else. Most critics were kept away. Sometimes luck just isn’t on our side.
Don Ready (Piven) is a fast-talking, hard-dealing, used car-selling machine that has been hired by a fledging dealer to assist in eliminating their 4th of July inventory. Ready’s slick crew is up to the challenge, poised with their game faces on, and ready to wheel, deal, manipulate, and screw over anyone in the name of making the sale.
THE GOODS was produced, in part, by Adam McCay and Will Ferrell. This will explain why the formula will look familiar to you very quickly. Here we have an ensemble cast – each with their own personality quirks that lead to intermittent bits of hilarity. Think ANCHORMAN on a car lot, but less focused, not nearly as consistent – or funny. It plays more like a series of bits that have been strung together by a very loose script.
Improv-based comedies are great when they flow into the story seamlessly. That is just one of the reasons THE HANGOVER was so much damn fun. Just like in LAND OF THE LOST, this feels more like the cast was just having a good ol’ time on the set and they are just assuming that you will feel the magic as well. Unfortunately, when the wackiness of the set does not translate into the final product what you have is a self-indulgent mess that has a few laughs, but no real flow or sense of purpose to hold it together.
11/2 guitars on this one!(Out of 5 guitars)