There's Something About Mary? Three years later - a comedy classic?

[Raphph]

I rewatched There's Something About Mary and thought it was funnier than ever! What do you guys think?

Check out my review link in my sig!

[Cap'n Al]

Well, it's certainly <i>much</i> better than <i>Me, Myself and Irene</i>, that's for sure...I think it doesn't hold up to repeated viewings, but it's certainly one of the stronger Hollywood comedies of the last decade.

[Vinyl-Pants]

Funny you should bring this up, I too recently watched the DVD again and I have to say I was thoroughly disappointed. It relies too heavily on gross-out humour which just isnt funny any more. It's one of those films you remember being better than it is, I have to say, otherwise I wouldn't have bought the disc in the first place.

Sufficed to say the DVD is now on my For Sale list.

[TimJBart]

i thought this film was a cut above the other comedies of the same time. i much preferred this to american pie 1 and films like that. i thought the comedy was much more subtle, although there were other "gross-out" parts as well, which aren't as funny after the first viewing

[mjb1975]

I remember being amused, but slightly disappointed when I saw it at the cinema when it came out. Haven't watched it since, but maybe I'll give it another go.

Nowhere near as good as Dumb & Dumber.........

[urruri]

I thought it was one of the best comedy's in the last five years or so.

[GrossePointeJack]

I think this film was a case of all the best bits being in the trailer - i missed it in the cinema but watched it on video after being told by pretty much everyone how funny it was so i popped it in and i was so disapointed to be honest, like with the 'zipper scene' - i saw it in the trailer again and again so when i did get to see it i just didnt laugh and i felt like that through the whole film. No i have no desire to watch it again.











"Or are you gonna go bandit? - Reynolds style"

[Cornelius]

Originally posted by urruri
I thought it was one of the best comedy's in the last five years or so.

That's not saying much. In fact you could say best comedy in the last ten years and it wouldn't be a big deal.

I went to see it at the cinema and it was quite enjoyable with a group of mates. when it was released on DVD I rented it and didn't think it was as funny as I remember. I definately won't be going out of my way to watch it on tv this christmas.

A classic? No way.

[Tony Keats]

The linking paragraph for the DVD Times review says "Definitely the farrelly's best film". That's a very inappropriate comment don't you think?. Peoples opinions differ wildly at the best of times.

In the case of the Farrellys though, Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin and There's Something about Mary are all of the same high standard to my mind. Except one has an extra emphasis on simple enjoyment (D/D), one has an extra emphasis on a romantic pursuit (Mary) and my personal favourite (Kingpin) has an extra emphasis on a good-natured 'against all odds' style story.

You could probably argue that Mary also goes the extra mile with the gross-out stuff, but that type of humour just doesn't stand up to repeat viewings (as many have remarked in this very thread). So anyone making sweeping statements about "definite bests" is being rather arrogant and presumptuous IMO.

[Mike]

<b>The linking paragraph for the DVD Times review says "Definitely the farrelly's best film". That's a very inappropriate comment don't you think?. Peoples opinions differ wildly at the best of times. </b>

I disagree with this. It's clearly a statement in the context of the review and therefore implicitly an opinion. Not inappropriate at all, although if you disagree (which I do) it's a good way to raise the blood pressure until you get it into perspective. Personally, I think the Farrelly's best film is "Me Myself And Irene", but I'm somewhat alone in that opinion, as in many others.

[Raphph]

Tony Keats, I've read your post and can't understand what you really expect from a review if you get annoyed with opinionated comments. I don't compromise my views at all, even if the majority will disagree. So do you expect me therefore to not use words like 'definitely' just because some might not agree? If so, surely the word 'definitely' could not be used in any reviewing context, since some will always disagree?

When I review films, I am essentially writing my thoughts on them. Some people don't appreciate reviews, and are very rude and oddly defensive about it, spouting rubbish like ' How can you say this? etc. etc.' and shouting that they never listen to online reviews etc. etc. when that's not the point surely. My job is not to just summarise the national consensus on a film, just so that no-one can disagree or be upset by it. My job is to provide my opinion, and not to be swayed by a few people who post criticism in a thread and thinking that must therefore mean my review is wrong.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

A comedy classic? No, I hated it.

[Tony Keats]

Originally posted by Raphph
Tony Keats, I've read your post and can't understand what you really expect from a review if you get annoyed with opinionated comments. I don't compromise my views at all, even if the majority will disagree. So do you expect me therefore to not use words like 'definitely' just because some might not agree? If so, surely the word 'definitely' could not be used in any reviewing context, since some will always disagree?

You can use words like 'definitely' in the actual review obviously (the more daring the better actually), BUT the main page of DVD Times has no business showing comments like that. It gives the impression that There's Something About Mary is better in a factual or somehow proven sense. A casual visitor (or first-time visitor) could think "what a load of haughty bile" and go elsewhere in future.

When I review films, I am essentially writing my thoughts on them. Some people don't appreciate reviews, and are very rude and oddly defensive about it, spouting rubbish like ' How can you say this? etc. etc.' and shouting that they never listen to online reviews etc. etc. when that's not the point surely.

No, and I'm certainly not one of those of those people. Hell I've written plenty of bile myself!. DVD Times is a communal web-site though, so I can't agree that describing a film as "definitely the best" is suitable for the main page. If the cover of Empire described Titanic as "definitely the best film ever made", I'd be similarly appalled!.

[Raphph]

Tony Keats, I've just read your second reply and I must admit you've made some very good points. I suppose it is a tad sweeping to say definitive or definitely on the main page, and I have taken that on board.

Thanks for your intelligent comments and use of reasoning, and also thanks for not resorting to a war-of-words that must people jump towards. I am currently having a similar argument on the Moulin Rouge thread with tinder, although he's currently shooting himself in the foot so I don't have to worry.

[MikeToone]

No,

Apart from the humourous clips in the trailers it was not that funny.

Comedy classic - I think not...............

[tj_director]

i personally don't find the gross out bits (which are actually few are far between) the funny parts, for me the dialogue is whats funny, and i just love the characters, and the storyline was very cool when i first watched it -- and come on, Miss.Diaz is looking at her very best during this film!!! + call me sappy and crap, but the love story element gets me :o

IMHO -- a modern mainstream romantic comedy classic, up there with 'The Wedding Singer' for me. :)

My cousin thinks Me,Myself + Irene is the FUNNIEST film ever made -- while it certainly is funny, i think maybe he needs a crach corse in Comedy films. :cool:

[Mr Milo]

I enjoyed "Something About Mary". Good film. Very funny in places and like tj director, I thought the dialogue and deeper story was good as well.
Comedy classic? No. After watching it several times, I don't find it THAT funny really.

I much prefer Road Trip for humour and having watched it more times than Mary, I still find myself laughing at it.

I also prefer Dumb and Dumber which again, holds up to repeated viewing in my opinion much more so than Mary. I think it is the simpler humour rather than gross out stuff in there that appeals.

Having said all of that, Cameron Diaz IS mighty fine in Mary and as I love American Football, the Brett Favre cameo along with her means I will watch it more times.

[stephen]

I enjoyed it and found it funny, but I didn't find it that funny on repeated viewings. I definitely wouldn't call it a comedy classic, i'd reserve that descrition for something like airplane.

[tinder]

I am currently having a similar argument on the Moulin Rouge thread with tinder, although he's currently shooting himself in the foot so I don't have to worry.



:D :D :D :D :D :D ......OH MY GAWDDD!!!!!....you really do believe that, dont you???

Yes you are right , I really must bow to your superior intellect, OH WISE ONE:D :D :D


for anyone remotely interested here is a link to me 'shooting myself in the foot'
me shooting myself in the foot (http://thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38691)

[Shingster]

Originally posted by TimJBart
i thought this film was a cut above the other comedies of the same time.

Have to disagree with you on that one Tim! The Big Lebowski was released the same year as Mary & that's a far superior comedy!! But then it's my favourite comedy film full stop, so maybe i'm biased????

Mary was the most recent film to make it into the AFA list of the 100 greatest comedies of all time, so that's something at least.

[TimJBart]

ok, u are allowed to disagree:D i have seen the big lebowski and whereas it was pretty good, i laughed more in something bout mary.

although "you will be entering a world of pain" was GENIUS!

[richkev]

Well I love this film, not that many comedies of recent years have made me laugh out loud like this and that includes the big lebowski. Comedy films are probably the hardest of all catagories of film to get universal approval basically because what some people find funny others don't, whilst I can see the good things in other catagories of film that I don't particulally like overall I can very rarely find anything good to say about a comedy that I didn't like.

[mr procter]

Add my tuppance worth
I Love Something about Mary. and have watched it loads of times
it is in my top 5 comedys of all time

must be the Farrelly type of humour cos I agree with T J_Directors cousin in saying
Me myself and Irene
is a classic comedy.

[Tob]

Hooray, I thought I was alone in my love for Me, Myself and Irene (which I view on a par with Dumb and Dumber for best Farrelly bro movie). I must have seen it six or seven times and laugh more and more. :)

[cjbarker]

I love There's Something About Mary, but then I love childish humour, slapstick and Cameron Diaz :D

Not sure if it's a classic, I guess time will tell...

[Grumpy]

I have replaced most of my videos with the dvd versions but this was one film I was in no hurry to replace, in saying that I saw a video on MTV the other night and it had clips from Something About Mary and made me think about watching it again.
I'm not sure I would call it a classic though.

[rooster]

I enjoyed Something about Mary a lot but the best comedy of recent times has to be the brilliant Oh Brother where art thou. One of those that makes me chuckle in my head just thinking about it.