Plot: What’s it about?
Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) is a fast-talking, double-dealing attorney, who represents the worst criminal element, because of his special ability. And just what is this special ability? Reede is a fantastic liar, at least in the courtroom, but at home, he can’t fool his ex-wife and young son. After his dad no-shows at his birthday party, Reede’s son makes an extra special wish when he blows out his candles. He wishes that for a day, just one day, his dad would have to tell the truth, and only the truth. So imagine Fletcher’s suprise when he can’t do what he does best! Fletcher has a very important case, but is running into problems, to say the least. His ex is taking his son with her, and moving in with another man, and Fletcher has to settle the case, and stop his loved ones from leaving forever! But…that’s not so easy to do, since he can’t win the case without lying…or can he?!?!
Liar, Liar is a hilarious movie, with witty dialogue and physical comedy galore. Most of these laughs come from the movie’s main star, Jim Carrey. Not many other comedic talent appears in the film, which makes Carrey seem like the funny man to the rest of the cast’s straight men. Carrey is good though, bringing laughs out of every facial expression, snappy come-back, and all out attempts to repress the “truth”. The movie relies on Carrey and his reactions heavily, so if you don’t appreciate his brand of humor, you will mostly likely not enjoy this film. But if you like Carrey, this is gonna be a great time for you, because he is in fine form, much more refined than Dumb & Dumber or Ace Ventura.
But Carrey needs a great supporting cast to make the magic happen, and he gets a doozy. Playing his ex-wife is Maura Tierney, who shines as a grounding factor, serving as responsible mom to Carrey’s wild dad. But she does have her moments of humor, and they are done very well. Cary Elwes is tremendous as the new man in her life, and makes a great bore-fest comparison to Fletcher’s personality. His little bit with “the claw” is enough to make me cry from laughing! Well played, from top to bottom, the best perfrmance aside from Carrey. Also giving sparkling performances are Swoozie Kurtz, Jennifer Tilly, and Amanda Donohoe. Giving a small, but funny role is played by Randall “Tex” Cobb. Cobb appears briefly in the beginning, on the court steps, and look for a return of Randall when Fletcher is in jail, Cobb is the guy sleeping right behind him! Neat!
The movie is very light-hearted, shying away from the more heavy topics it could have touched on. Fletcher seems a little too at ease with this new man in his ex’s life, and the relationship the new guy has with his son. While maybe some guys are good sports about stuff like that, Fletcher does not seem the type to be one, but it doesn’t harm the movie at all. It’s just one example of how the film-makers chose to kinda hop over the serious elements, and stick with the funny stuff, which works fine in a film like this. Realism does not really come into question in a movie where a “wish made while blowing out birthday candles comes true” story is the basis for the film. So, while they could have taken a different road, the one they did choose is a funny and entertaining one.
Now it’s time for my summation. Hey, I even slipped in a lawyer term there! This movie is for anyone who likes raucous comedy and targets Jim Carrey fans in specific. But really, any fans of fun and entertaining movies will enjoy this one. Like I said, it deals with serious topics, but sticks with the easy-to-swallow stuff. Light and fluffy, that’s the phrase of the day with this one, but it’s ok, because the point of the movie is to see Jim Carrey make funny faces and run into walls, right? RIGHT! Well, that and to see Fire Marshall Bill make his big screen debut! (Email me if you don’t know about FMB in Liar, Liar.)
Video: How does it look?
Not bad at all. I was very happy when this was released, as I was sick of the old DVD, which was pan and scan only. Finally, a wide-screen anamorphically enhanced transfer for this comedy classic! Yahoo! There is some visible grain, but baby, it’s rare, and not enough to worry about. Colors are kinda muted, but still get the job done. So, I will not say great but also will not say bad.
Audio: How does it sound?
Same story here, decent, but nothing to jump up and cheer about. The movie has a lot of low level effects, and they are easily audible. The dialogue is king here though, and the effects and music never put a damper on the jokes. Which is good, since the damn jokes are the only reason to watch!
Supplements: What are the extras?
I hate to do this, but these extras suck. The “Bridging The Comedy Chasm” featurette is only 15 minutes long…ummm…Bride of Chucky had a 10 minute one, and Life had a 20 minute one, and they aren’t even Collector’s Editions!!!! And the damn thing does not tell anything about the movie, it just lets Jim Carrey slip in some funny faces between short, and I mean short, behind the scenes clips. Boo! Hiss! Next up is another dud feature, the out-takes. The ones at the finish of the movie are the best ones on this DVD, a few funny ones aside, the bonus ones blow, and are only worth watching once, if that. A deleted scene is included, and is a step in the right direction. It is an alternate opening scene, and is actually something useful when looking at the film, for a change! The main feature here is running commentary by Tom Shadyac, who is very funny to listen to and gives a lot of behind the scenes information. Great job by Shadyac, glad it was included! Also packed on here are production notes, cast/crew bios, a photo gallery, and the theatrical trailer. Not a bad selection, but quantity does NOT equal quality.
