'Bringing Down The House'
(Steve Martin, Queen Latifa / PG-13 / 105 mins / Touchstone)
Overview: A lawyer (Steve Martin) left by the wife (Jean Smart) he still loves tries the world of online dating and meets a woman he believes to be a smart, gorgeous attorney. When she shows up for their first face-to-face meeting, he discovers that his date is Charlene (Queen Latifah), a prison escapee who seeks Peter's legal knowledge to clear her name. When bland Peter refuses, she sets out to throw his orderly life into chaos.
Verdict: Whereas at times 'Bringing Down The House' is almost jaw-droppingly awful, the pairing of Queen Latifah and Steve Martin works brilliantly! Latifah proves herself to be a charismatic and lovable lead, while Martin's classic shtick sticks, and yet the whole film offers proof that there are times when superior performances can salvage a mediocre script! To be honest, and brutal, High-school cafeteria soup has more flavor than this bland, coarse, poorly tuned, tepid throwback!
Reviewed by Russ Trunk
'Bringing Down The House'