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Hall Pass - 9/3/2011 6:35:32 PM

Empire Admin

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Joined: 29/6/2005

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- 9/3/2011 6:35:32 PM

Ethanial

Posts: 2923
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Perpendicular Universe London

Possible contender for least funny comedy of the year, a film that's sole laugh situates in the end credits (Almost cut out I guess) and from 10-minute screentime Stephen Merchant never bodes well. The Farrellys really shit on the wall on this one. (Get it, it's a joke about a scene in the film that you shouldn't see because it sucks)

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Post #: 2

Oh dear.... - 11/3/2011 3:34:49 PM

Letattz

Posts: 128
Joined: 5/12/2005
From: Reading

The only shocking thing about this review is that you gave it the same amount of stars as Fair Game. Hang your heads Empire.

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Post #: 3

- 13/3/2011 10:22:19 PM

sowasred2012

Posts: 351
Joined: 29/6/2007

It's alright - I was expecting worse to be honest. There are two real reasons to see this movie, as opposed to not seeing it, and they are A: Stephen Merchant's scene during the credits, which feels like it's from a different film and is the funniest bit by far and B: Nicky Whelan's chest. So I guess that's actually three reasons.

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Post #: 4

Not so bad - 15/3/2011 12:11:21 AM

Cheeze

Posts: 21
Joined: 23/5/2006

I think Empire have pretty much nailed this score on the head.

I didn't really want to see it but it was this or Battlefield Los Angeles.

It's not ground breaking, it's pretty cliched but I just switched off and sat back. Reading this review beforehand meant I went in not expecting much so I wasn't disappointed. It's worth a watch if you've seen everything else worth seeing, or if like me you have a Cineworld Unlimited card so you don't feel robbed. I laughed in places, but I could see the gags coming.

3/5 for me.

Post #: 5

RE: Not so bad - 15/3/2011 9:36:27 AM

Groovy Mule

Posts: 1089
Joined: 26/11/2005

It's not great but nor is it as terrible as some of the critics would have you believe.

All of the guys in this film are incredibly obnoxious and therefore unlikeable. Clearly, Owen Wilson's character is supposed to get by on the fact that he is played by Owen Wilson and audiences like him. The female characters are little more than throwaway ciphers and this is redeemed by the fact that they are played by the thoroughly likeable Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate.

One of the beauties of films like There's Something About Mary is that no matter how much time you spent with the lead characters, there was a rich vein of supporting characters who had something to do. In Hall Pass, the Farrelly Brothers have forgotten this and supporting characters disappear in favour of spending more time with Wilson and Sudeklis. It is to the film's detriment that the funniest bit of the film is Stephen Merchant's end credit sequence.

Having said that, there are laughs in this film and the audience I saw it with laughed a lot more than I expected. It's not a good film but it is by no means the worst "comedy" I've seen this year. If someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to watch one film on repeat for the rest of my life and my choice was between Hall Pass, the Vince Vaughn-Ron Howard film The Dilemma and Adam Sandler vehicle, Just Go With It, I'd choose this one but it would very much be the lesser of three evils.

4/10

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Post #: 6

Poor! - 15/3/2011 11:26:56 AM

Bobby TwoTimes

Posts: 52
Joined: 18/3/2008

Was really looking forward to this one - I thought it was gonna be one of the stupid comedies that the critics hate but is good in a really childish way, but aside from the first half an hour, it was pretty piss poor to be honest. Merchant and Wilson's other buddies all disappear half way through and from then on it all turns extremely sappy and moral in a typically american comedy kinda way.
*spoiler* I knew from the minute his wife gave him the hallpass that Wilson was probably gonna end up in a situation where he's got a chance to bone the stunning coffee shop girl but would end up bottling it at the last minute. I never actually thought the Farrelly Brothers would actually be so lazy as to actually do it! Total sh!t!

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Post #: 7

RE: Hall Pass - 20/3/2011 5:16:58 PM

ElephantBoy

Posts: 7325
Joined: 13/4/2006

I still might go, but only because I don't have a car door to slam my head into, and because I love Jenna Fischer

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Post #: 8

Hall Pass: Review - 8/8/2011 2:01:59 AM

Edward9630

Posts: 63
Joined: 8/8/2011
From: Ireland

Hall Pass is a very good film. There are alot of funny scenes in this film and the story is interesting to learn. My only problem with this film is that there are scenes where they are just not funny at all. I would recommend to go see this film.

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Post #: 9