The Movie Guys: ‘Deuce Bigalow’ a bottom feeder for physical comedy

Friday, Dec. 10, 1999 | 10:05 a.m.

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun (Movie Buzz written by Thomas Feeney). They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/movies and themovieguys.com

Grades:

Jeff, B; Dave, C-.

Starring: Rob Schneider, Arija Bareikis, Marlo Thomas, William Forsythe, Gail O'Grady, Eddie Griffin, Amy Poehler and Oded Fehr.

Screenplay: Rob Schneider and Harris Goldberg.

Director: Mike Mitchell.

Rated: R for adult themes, brief nudity and profanity.

Running time: 90 minutes.

Playing at: UA Rainbow Promenade, Showcase 8, UA Green Valley, Boulder Station, Village Square, Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century Orleans, Cinedome 12 Henderson.

Synopsis: A fish tank cleaner by trade, lovable loser Deuce Bigalow finds himself in deep water when he "accidentally" becomes a male escort. He accepts the challenge to be a hired date for women in order to earn enough money to repair a lot of damage he inadvertently caused to a gigolo's luxury apartment.

Dave: To look at the comedic talent that has passed through the last 25 years on the popular late-night series "Saturday Night Live," it is a mystery how some find their calling in feature films and some seem better in smaller doses like the sketch comedies that their "SNL" home provided. You could easily make your point with Eddie Murphy, while I would counter with Joe Piscopo. Then you rattle off Mike Myers and Adam Sandler, and I, without hesitation, name Dana Carvey and David Spade.

Now, I don't mean to come off as insensitive when actually I don't understand how Carvey hasn't made a cinematic name for himself. Not every cast member is destined for feature film stardom, but nobody has told producer Lorne Michaels. The versatile Rob Schneider, who has made memorable appearances in the last two Adam Sandler vehicles (notably the fair-weather fan of "The Waterboy" who shouts, "You can do it!") further exemplifies this very point in his first starring role as the title character "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo."

Personally, I think the late Chris Farley made a better supportive player too, but my critical cohort here would certainly disagree.

Jeff: What Dave is not telling you right off about "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" is that it's funny. Schneider is funny -- very funny -- and it's about time this unsung talent finally got his chance to spread his comedic wings and fly to stardom. Will "Deuce Bigalow" be that vehicle? I don't think so, but it's a step in the right direction.

The film's appeal is Schneider himself. Unlike "SNL" alum Spade, whose on-screen personality is a wisecracking smart aleck, Schneider plays a likable, sympathetic character. How more pathetic can you get than an employee who cleans fish tanks for a living and still manages to get fired? Turning to a life of passion, he becomes a gigolo to help repair damage to a client's apartment, but even when faced with servicing women of all kinds, he stays true to his likable character and keeps his pride in his pants. Schneider is a modern-day Buster Keaton with a flair for physical comedy and his classic double takes will have you rolling in the aisle.

Dave: Providing no more than what I expected from a lowbrow comedy, the film relies on toilet humor rather than allowing the audience a genuine laugh. Instead of injecting any originality that I believe Schneider possesses as both star and writer (sharing script credit with Harris Goldberg), we are left with nothing but punch lines and gags you can see coming a mile away. One aspect I did like is that, contrary to what the film's title might suggest, women are painted in a positive light. In the middle of Deuce's pursuit to raise the fast cash, he meets Kate (Arija Bareikis), a beautiful and bashful young woman whom Deuce is paid to date. Innocently enough, he breaks one of the many rules a male gigolo must follow as explained by his "man-pimp" T.J. Hicks (comedian Eddie Griffin): Never fall in love with a client.

When the film uses Deuce's female clients who range from the obese Jabba Lady (DJ personality Big Boy) to the foul-mouthed Ruth (Amy Poehler) as fuel for ridicule, they are allowed to stretch their own comic wit. Unfortunately, it does not make up for the drab feeling that seems to linger over the film as a whole.

Jeff: Toilet humor? Dave must be referring to Deuce's father (Richard Riehle) who is a bathroom attendant. Admittedly, the film does depend at times on toilet humor, but its spirit and genius are deeply rooted in physical comedy. Sight gags abound when Deuce dates women who are four feet taller than himself, who weigh more than 300 pounds, who are narcoleptic, and who suffer from Tourette's syndrome.

These are the kind of women Deuce services and charges only $10. He doesn't offer them sex, but he makes them feel special by listening to them and in return earns their respect and admiration. He never does anything objectionable, but out of desperation he is willing to try anything and pulls back at the last minute. Of course, as Dave mentioned, Deuce finds love and hangs up his pimp hat for a life of love and picket fences, yet he needs to earn that extra thousand dollars to finish his repairs.

The story is simple, the laughs are simple, Schneider is simple, and that's the way I want him. If you're looking for a movie with laughs, outrageous situations and a few tender moments, then call up "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo." He's worth every penny.

Movie buzz

If Disney builds it, they will come: In an unprecedented move, the Mouse House is actually building a theater to show one specific film. Disney will construct a temporary IMAX theater for a four-month screening of the upcoming "Fantasia 2000." The steel-and-Fiberglas tent, costing about $4 million, will include 622 stadium-style seats and a 56-foot-tall IMAX screen. Why the new theater? The California Science Center, which houses the only permanent IMAX theater in Los Angeles, refused to agree to run the film exclusively.

"Cellular" gets the call: Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the creative forces behind "Independence Day" and (groan) "Godzilla" have purchased a screenplay titled "Cellular" for $750,000. The script reportedly deals with a man who answers his cell phone and hears the voice of a woman telling him that she has been kidnapped but doesn't know where she is. She feels certain that she is going to be killed. The man must find her before his cell phone battery goes dead.

Costner of the Caribbean?: According to Daily Variety, Kevin Costner is shopping around a project called "Ocra Coke." If the film goes forward, it would star Costner in the true-life story of Robert Maynard. Maynard was a disgraced British naval officer who eventually redeemed himself by capturing the legendary Blackbeard. Hmmm, what a great idea! Mix "Waterworld" with "Cutthroat Island"!

Name That Flick

What did Kevin McCallister shoplift from the drug store in "Home Alone"? Well, Edward Williams was the first to call and correctly guess: a toothbrush. Way to go Edward. For this week, in the 1983 film "A Christmas Story," what was the secret message Ralphie deciphered in the bathroom with his secret "Little Orphan Annie" decoder? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026 or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com to leave your answer and your name. See you next week!

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