Review of The Whole Ten Yards (2004) by Ryan W — 16 Jan 2014

The Whole Nine Yards was an unimpressive film, so I figured that The Whole Ten Yards couldn't hurt.

In The Whole Ten Yards, we don't have to bother to waste time learning who the characters are since they were all introduced in The Whole Nine Yards, and it instead attempts to make do with what characters there are. And even though the plot is stupid, it's expected since it's built on being the sequel of a ridiculous film. And even though critics everywhere would disagree, I believe it's an improvement over its predecessor.

And most of the comedy in The Whole Ten Yards is built on the comedic chemistry between Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis. Since this time around Bruce Willis actually receives sufficient screen time, watching him and Matthew Perry go at it in a comedy is actually a lot more bearable than in The Whole Nine Yards. I honestly laughed a hell of a lot in the scene where Jimmy Tudeski took a running dive through a pyramid of shot glasses. Really, their chemistry makes The Whole Ten Yards easier to watch than most critics suggest.

And their performances are good individually, with Bruce Willis giving a domineering strength to his character and Matthew Perry supplying his social awkwardness to the role again.

Amanda Peet also does a strong job in her role again as she shows off her ability for emotional intensity.

The one cast member who didn't really get sufficient screen time in In The Whole Ten Yards was Natasha Henstridge, but even the she still have a strong performance within the timeframe of her few lines.

The negative elements of the film are large, and it's the fact that like The Whole Nine Yards, The Whole Ten Yards is stupid. It has a dumb script, sporadical laughs and a confusing plot, and of course director Howard Deutch failed to be able to save that. I mean, there isn't anything in The Whole Ten Yards to save it from being a bad film or an inconsistent comedy. It's nothing special and not worth going out of your way for.

So although The Whole Ten Yards isn't as bad as critics say and it has some laughs as well as a good cast, it's still a poor quality film with insufficient laughs.