Prior to the start of the 21rst century, movie franchises
that had sequels were more or less on time with their releases. Other sets of
movies were created not long after. This was due to movie studios finding it to
be profitable and producing a sequel almost every year. Whether or not they
actually were of good quality is a separate matter. The point is, sequels came
in a rather systematic fashion. Rarely were sequels made years later except for
some. A very mainstream movie series that has quite a number of years in
between its entries was James Cameron's The Terminator (1984) film. Terminator
2: Judgement Day (1991) came several years later and Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines (2003) was even longer still. However the longest awaited sequel ever
to be made might in fact be this movie since its predecessor goes back three
decades!
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| Can't seem to cut a break huh? |
The Odd Couple (1968) was based on a play written by Neil
Simon. This story would then also receive a TV show adaptation. But as for this
sequel, the script was also written by Neil Simon but was completely original.
Nothing had been written before as to what would happen if the two main odd
balls would reunite. For this film, it just so happens that the daughter of
Felix Unger (Jack Lemmon) and son of Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) are getting
married. When Oscar and Felix cross paths, the madness begins. The question is,
will they reach the wedding in time? For being a sequel that came far after its
original, the play out to this feature is not as bad as one might think.
Heading the production was Howard Deutch. He's mainly known for directing TV
shows now. Deutch also worked with Matthau and Lemmon in Grumpier Old Men
(1995).
What does work here are the two stars and thankfully much of
the supporting cast. Even for thirty years later Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
are great at reprising their all time famous roles. Lemmon still plays Felix as
about as stressed as ever, while Matthau plays Oscar just as relaxed and out of
touch as well. Both still have the same likable chemistry and great wisecracks
towards each other. The next actor to have some funny scenes is Richard Riehle
the local sheriff. As Oscar and Felix try to reach their family's wedding, they
continuously run into Riehle's character. Seeing his reaction every time after
the first gets more comical. As for the couple getting married, Brucey
(Jonathan Silverman) and Hannah (Lisa Waltz) are both okay in their roles but
they really don't have a lot of shine time.
The parts that aren't effective in the story deal a lot with
how the script was written. The plus side is that Neil Simon takes the scenario
between the iconic duo and shows the audience what happens when these two are
let out of their cages. Yet somehow there's a lack of witty dialog among the
whole running time. Matthau and Lemmon are wonderful no doubt, but they can't
work alone. Part of what made The Odd Couple (1968) funny was the funny
supporting cast. Aside from Riehle, there's not many other actors to find
hilarious. On top of that, there a couple of scenes that have the two leads
dropping the "F" bomb. The original movie did not use that word at all
and it was still hilarious. So what was the point of using it now? Lastly
there's a brief subplot that comes up out of nowhere and is quickly settled, so
again, why bring it up to begin with?
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| Jonathan Silverman |
But aside from this there are appearances from other actors
like Mary Beth Peil, Christine Baranski, Jean Smart, Rex Linn, Jay O. Sanders
and even Earl Boen. For camerawork, the shots captured are decent for the
picture. Credited as cinematographer was Jamie Anderson. Unlike the original
where much of the settings took place in the apartment, now the whole adventure
takes place outside and there's lots to see. Anderson was also the DP to movies
like Piranha (1978), Unlawful Entry (1992) and Small Soldiers (1998) that same
year. Lastly, bringing forth the music was composer Alan Silvestri. Being known
for all kinds of scores Silvestri did a great job revisiting the famous main
theme from the original and it is repeated quite often in full orchestra. A job
well done.
While the script may suffer from unnecessary add ins
and occasionally less energetic dialog, the rest of the viewing experience is
still enjoyable. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon remain the highlight of the
feature, with great exchanges, acceptable cinematography and respectable music.
Points Earned --> 6:10
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