Marking one of the quickest turnarounds in cinema history, 2010âs Death at a Funeral is a remake of 2007âs Death at a Funeral, the hit British comedy in which a lightly estranged family gathers after the death of its patriarch, and dark farcical hell breaks loose. For the American remake, the English family is replaced with an African-American clan, portrayed by a cavalcade of stars: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, and Zoe âthe chick from Avatarâ Saldana. But despite the previously successful source material, the talented cast, and the strenuous efforts of all involved, the new Death is mostly a big dumb dud.
The majority of blame must go to director Neil LaBute, the famously edgy filmmaker/playwright presumably brought on board for his dark-comedy track record. But farce is a different animal, one LaBute is still struggling to wrangle. With his cast veering between too-broad comedy and too-broad sentimentality, LaButeâs film splatters itself across the screen like the bastard love child of a Tyler Perry sap-fest and a Farrelly brothers gross-out. Deprived of any farcical spark, Dean Craigâs cartoonish and repetitive script slogs through its increasingly in-your-face paces, resulting in the rare film thatâs both frantic and glacially paced.
Itâs not all bad. Chris Rock makes a good leading man, and both Martin Lawrence (as Rockâs morally bankrupt brother) and James Marsden (as one of the clanâs honky fiancĂ©s) do inspired comic work. Alsoâspoiler alert!âthere is an extended scene in which Danny Glover poops all over Tracy Morgan. If youâve always wanted to see Danny Glover poop all over Tracy Morgan, hereâs your chance. If you never want to see Danny Glover poop all over Tracy Morgan, stay away.
