'Death at a Funeral' Movie Review

Death at a Funeral, the 2007 British comedy centering around horrible albeit hilarious hijinx at a funeral, gets the remake treatment as an American comedy loaded with well-known comic actors. Chris Rock produces and stars as the son of the deceased, playing straight man to Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Regina Hall, Danny Glover, and Loretta Devine among others. And it was Rock's idea to redo the British film, move it to LA, and have it center around an African-American family.

Rock saw the original film in a nearly empty theater and thought he could take the set-up, twist it, and deliver laughs to a wider audience. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, as the first Death at a Funeral was very funny but never caught on. But Rock's take on a family enduring a funeral that's gone drastically wrong only pays off in scattered laughs.

This Death at a Funeral - even when it's copying the original gags almost shot for shot - doesn't capture the manic intensity of the original film. Director Neil LaBute (who's not known for wild physical comedies) never amps up the pacing to the point where everything threatens to spin completely out of control, and that's what made the first film so much fun to watch. This Death's slower pace works against the R-rated comedy.

The Story

Aaron (Rock) is responsible for handling all the arrangements for his father's funeral. That includes hosting the event at the family home (he lives with his mother, but wants to move out) and paying half of the expenses. His brother, Ryan (Lawrence), is a successful writer who's supposed to split the costs, but only after he makes the trip in first class from NY to LA does he admit to Aaron he's broke. Ryan's the favorite son and everyone expects him to deliver the eulogy, being that writing is how he makes a living. But Aaron's bound and determined to be the one to send his father off. Why? It's a matter of pride. Aaron's also a writer but he's never been published - and he is the oldest son by nine months (as is frequently pointed out).

So, the family's all there: weird Uncle Russell (Glover) who says whatever comes to mind, Aaron's wife (Hall) who desperately wants to have a baby and just happens to be ovulating the same day as the funeral, cousin Elaine (Zoe Saldana) and her nervous boyfriend, Oscar (James Marsden), who need to convince her dad (Ron Glass) their relationship is for real, and Elaine's brother, Jeff (Columbus Short), who's a pharmacology student. Also showing up to pay their respects are Elaine's ex-boyfriend (Luke Wilson) who'd like nothing better than to get back together with the beauty thus getting even closer to her well-to-do dad, and family friend Norman (Morgan) who's given the task of driving and then babysitting cantankerous Uncle Russell.

In addition to all the assorted family members and friends, a stranger shows up and proclaims he was a close friend of the deceased. And when he says they were close, he means close. Frank (played by Peter Dinklage, the same actor who played the character in the original film) wants money or else he'll show a packet of scandalous photos to the deceased's wife. And it's Frank's demand that sets off a chain of events that threatens to ruin the funeral.

The Acting

Chris Rock's a fish out of water as the straight man, and Martin Lawrence just does what he always does, playing the same character once again. Which is fine and dandy if you are a Lawrence fan, but if you're not, the character is just annoying and takes time away from far more interesting characters and better performances. Tracy Morgan, the third member of the big name comedic triad, doesn't break out of his comfort zone, but unlike Lawrence's character, Morgan's is easy to take.

Loretta Devine is underused as the grieving wife and mother, and Danny Glover's better than we've seen him in years as the obnoxious uncle. But as with the first movie, it's the out-of-his-element boyfriend who completely steals the film. James Marsden, from X-Men, The Notebook and Enchanted, shows an unexpected talent for physical comedy. Marsden's character accidentally ingests a designer hallucinogenic drug when his girlfriend thinks she's giving him a Valium, and he spends nearly the entire film tripping out. Marsden just goes for it, and his take on the character is just as over-the-top and hysterical as Alan Tudyk's was in the 2007 film. And Zoe Saldana and Columbus Short provide Marsden with the perfect foils to play off of. In fact, it's the threesome of James Marsden, Columbus Short and Zoe Saldana and not the three well-known comedians who provide the most laughs and deliver the best performances.

The Bottom Line

Was it necessary to remake a film that only came out a few years ago and didn't exactly wow audiences during its limited theatrical run? The answer's no, but there seems to be no stopping the Hollywood remake machine. And as with most remakes, this one pales next to the original.

Director LaBute's film has serious pacing issues, the jokes don't land as solidly as they should, and because there's so much going on and so many 'name' actors sharing the spotlight, we never get to really know most of the characters. The only ones that connect are, again, Saldana, Short and Marsden, while the strained relationship between Rock and Lawrence as brothers just feels flat and clichéd.

That said, 2010's Death at a Funeral isn't exactly dead in the water. It's not completely lifeless, as there are a handful of hearty chuckles to be had sprinkled over the hour and a half running time (most of which come from Marsden acting like he's been taken over by an alien life-form). But considering the big name cast, the set-up, and its potential, Death at a Funeral is not a movie to die for.

GRADE: C

Death at a Funeral was directed by Neil LaBute and is rated R for language, drug content and some sexual humor.

Disclosure: This review is based on a screening provided by the studio. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.