Review of Mortdecai (2015) by Thequietgamer — 23 Aug 2015

At times it is a delightfully oddball little film. However that quirky weirdness is also what is going to drag the film down for many. It's humor and style are just too British to appeal to everyone. But those looking for a goofy adventure in the vein of the Pink Panther films can find something to enjoy here.

What we get here is another extravagant performance. He plays his absurd character well even if he can't always make him charming. It's the writings fault he is occasionally annoying. Still some laughs are brought on thanks to the goofiness of the character and the situations he is placed in. The real star of the show though is Paul Bettany playing Mortdecai's ever faithful manservant "Jock." His dynamic with the title character is amusing. The rest of the cast is quite excellent. A few characters are underutilized, but still are in top form.

As far of the jokes go it has quite a few funny moments. However it will test your stomach for British humor. Quite a bit of it doesn't translate well. Still I found it to be quite an amusing film all the way through. That doesn't change the fact that there are some dull moments in the film's progression. This complain mainly extends to the film's actin sequences. They feel poorly shot and really lack any excitement of flair at all. I get that action isn't the main focus, but given the height the action-movie genre ha reached, even brief excursions into this territory need to have at least a little more than what is offered here if it wants to avoid causing yawns.

The film's goofiness is really a double-sided coin. On one hand it makes the film something unique and strangely charming, on the other hand many are going to find it to be tedious because of that. I personally think the good outweighs the bad here. With great performances and a quirky sense of humor and style it makes for an enjoyable, if flawed, film that is going to be worth the time of the right audience. It requires an open mind and a bit of taste for foreign humor. Whether or not you can stomach it is just going to come down to personal preference. I personally think it's worth giving a shot. There certainly hasn't been anything like it in a while.

I give "Mortdecai" a 7.4/10.