20Sep 2011

Hall Pass Review

The Farrelly Brothers hit maturity - in the face

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The Farrelly Brothers have made a name for themselves as purveyors of toilet humour, stylists of the amused wince, the guilty snigger. It's a bit of a surprise, then, to discover that Hall Pass isn't the stand-up equivalent of an overflowing sewer, but "an amiable giggle that both sexes will find horribly recognisable". Losing your touch, chaps.

The plot sees Owen Wilson, Brit out of water Stephen Merchant and Jason Sudeikis taking a week off from their wives to get lingering bachelor tendencies out of their system. The wives in question, Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer, are "cut-out nags and slags", but the gents save it, with Wilson in particular "as good as he's ever been (his dad-dancing and inept pulling techniques are sweetly funny rather than boorish)".

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Expect "stoner golf sequences", "food comas" and, needless to say, an R-rating-friendly degree of "meaningless sex". Three stars, booms Total Film, like a snooping parent sizing up an adolescent's porn collection. Sounds like it's fun enough if you keep your brain in second gear.

Buy or rent here.

Total Film rating

3 out of 5

Comments

4 comments so far...

  1. Go on Ed, admit it, you felt like a berk writing that didn't you?

  2. I wouldn't mind if it was a decent film that had been reviewed instead of this crap, although there's a pitiful selection on Zune and maybe this is the best of the bunch. I'm ashamed to say PS3 has Xbox beat with LoveFilm access. Maybe if Microsoft weren't so quick to deny Free account holders access to anything good on their consoles and thus limiting the number of potential customers, we might have LoveFilm, iPlayer, ITV player, 4OD, Demand Five and more.

  3. I wouldn't mind if it was a decent film that had been reviewed instead of this crap, although there's a pitiful selection on Zune and maybe this is the best of the bunch. I'm ashamed to say PS3 has Xbox beat with LoveFilm access. Maybe if Microsoft weren't so quick to deny Free account holders access to anything good on their consoles and thus limiting the number of potential customers, we might have LoveFilm, iPlayer, ITV player, 4OD, Demand Five and more.

    Imagine having all of that. You would never need to change channels again.

  4. My laptop has iplayer and 4od - AND lovefilm its amazing!

    have to admit i have rented some films in the past from Zune - no blockbuster near me im afraid

    they r overpriced but 480 for a new film ainnt too bad - just be sure to research the film first so u dont end up paying for crap like hall pass