Review of MouseHunt (1997) by Jamie T — 31 May 2009

Simple, enjoyable, rather odd entertainment, with a strangely adult streak running through what is basically a modification of Tom and Jerry. Nathan Lane is, as always, extremely funny as Ernest Smuntz, the slick chef who, of course, learns a valuable lesson after having spent 90 minutes trying not to.

As he destroys a priceless mansion in the pursuit of a sly mouse, his comic invention rarely flags; unfortunately, he is weighed down by Lee Evans as his simple, sweet brother Lars. Evans is rarely funny, stuck with some questionable lines ("We made love in a way I've only ever seen in nature films!" is pretty risque for a kid's film), and he mugs constantly, to poor effect; not surprisingly, Evans has done little other work.

The supporting cast is funny, though, with Maury Chaykin a particular standout as a bombastic art connoisseur. Christopher Walken's role as an eccentric exterminator, unfortunately, doesn't quite come off; it seems too calculatedly bizarre, and not quite funny enough to compensate.

As noted before, the film seems off-balance, with a great deal of cartoony humor for the kids sitting uncomfortably with more mature material (the whole plot about the "lost LaRue", for example, would most likely go over the target audience's heads), but for older children, it should work a deal better.

And remember: A world without string is chaos.