Life Without Dick (2002) starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Harry Connick Jr., Johnny Knoxville, Craig Ferguson, Teri Garr, Brigid Brannagh, David Cross directed by Bix Skahill Movie Review

Life Without Dick (2002)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Sarah Jessica Parker and Harry Connick Jr. in Life Without Dick (2002)

Dick-Less

Comedies are supposed to be funny right? I ask because romantic, crime, comedy "Life Without Dick" never made me laugh once. The irony is that "Life Without Dick" has a good idea for a romantic comedy and has a good cast but every single joke fails because it is trying too hard to be funny. From Sarah Jessica Parker playing it as a dumb blonde to Harry Connick Jr. as a hitman who can't kill, everything is forced and becomes frustrating because there is a good movie in there just not a good one made.

Daniel Gallagher (Harry Connick Jr. - Hope Floats) is a hitman for his brother in law Irish mob boss Jared O'Reilly (Craig Ferguson) and Jared wants him to kill P.I. Dick Rasmusson (Johnny Knoxville), the trouble is that Daniel can't kill people; he hasn't got it in him. Ironically Dick's girlfriend Colleen Gibson (Sarah Jessica Parker - Mars Attacks!) accidentally kills him when her drunk psychic tells her that Dick is cheating on her with a Crossing Guard. Through a fender bender Daniel meets Colleen and they fall for each other making an unlikely alliance when Dick learns she is good with a gun and Colleen enjoying doing the hits which Jared orders. But with prying cops, a nervous junk yard owner, Daniel's suicidal sister Ivy (Brigid Brannagh) and his ex hanging around things get very messy.

Brigid Brannagh and Harry Connick Jr. in Life Without Dick (2002)

As a concept "Life Without Dick" is actually good, a bit of old style slapstick and confusion as a hitman who can't kill falls in love with an artist with a gift for killing. It offers up plenty of potential for some dark humour as Colleen matter of factly goes about doing the hits whilst we also have the confusion when Daniel's ex makes things messy as does his sister. But the trouble is that none of it works and every time there is an opportunity to score a laugh it leaves you depressed.

Now you may say depressed sounds a strong word to use but trust me when you watch 97 minutes where every joke is forced it is depressing. It's hard to explain why but you have the characters and Sarah Jessica Parker playing it as a dumb blonde is annoying never funny. Then there are the dumb agents investigating the murders with their grating accents and stupid mannerisms. Talking of stupid you have Jared's men all dressed like 1920s gangsters and speaking in such inconsistent Irish tones it borders on the insulting. It is a simple case of trying too hard and forcing the laughs to the point they are never funny.

Of course we have the element of "Life Without Dick" being a romantic comedy but again with the humour being forced it is never entertaining and typically is sparse on the romance. The only good side to this is the music and Harry Connick Jr. singing a couple of old Irish songs are the movies only highlight. Although having said that if there was an award for best supporting item of clothing it would have to go to Sarah Jessica Parker's bra because countless times her cleavage distracts from what is happening which funnily isn't a bad thing

What this all boils down to is that "Life Without Dick" is not a good movie and suffers because everything about it is forced, which is annoying because the actual set up has plenty of potential for a great dark comedy.


LATEST REVIEWS