Review of Dinner for Schmucks (2010) by Dc E — 07 Feb 2012

"Dinner for Schmucks" 10 Scale Rating: 4.0 (Below Average) ...

Paul Rudd plays a man desperately trying to get noticed at work. Once he does, management invites him to a "top secret" dinner where each guest is to bring along a "schmuck". Whoever brings the schmuck (or loser, to be more accurate) wins. Initially deciding that it was too shallow for him, he runs into Steve Carell's character who he feels will be the slam dunk winner and decides to go ahead and attend the dinner.

You know before you even see this movie that it is going to be predictable. Rudd is going to bond somewhat with Carell and eventually feel bad about inviting him. At the end of the day, Carell will win the "Biggest Schmuck" award and Rudd will tell his co-workers to stick it in a heart felt speech. If you didn't know this was going to happen and I ruined it for you ... sorry, see more movies then. Heh.

The predictability isn't what ruins the movie though -- it is the general lack of humor in getting from point A to predictable point B. To be candid, I didn't so much as smirk even once during the movie. Sure, one can say it was more heartfelt than hilarious, but that part of the movie felt hollow and, as already pointed out, predictable. So no, this movie needed to hang it's hat on humor ... and failed.