What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

What's the Worst That Can Happen? (2001): Dir: Sam Weisman / Cast: Martin Lawrence, Danny De Vito, John Leguizamo, Glenne Headly, Carmen Ejogo: To answer the question presented by the title, the film could have been so much more worse just by being longer. It is a comedy about a constant attack of bad luck. Martin Lawrence plays a thief who is caught in the midst of robbing Danny De Vito but when police arrive De Vito steals his ring that was given to him by his girlfriend. This becomes a see-saw battle of revenge until reaching a conclusion where theft is rewarded. Director Sam Weisman has comic timing but a poor choice in scripts. He has previously directed such junk as George of the Jungle and The Out-of-Towners. With a list like this it isn't likely that he will be up for any Academy Awards achievement trophy any time soon. Lawrence has seen better days, and De Vito is certainly capable of better. He actually played a role similar to this in Tin Men. Both comics are hilarious when the material is good, but this ranks as merely career suicide. Glenne Headly has an embarrassing role as a fortune teller. John Leguizamo plays Lawrence's partner in crime in a role that is every bit as useless as it sounds. It is a routine comedy nearly devoid of any laughs. So what's the worst that can happen? Lawrence and De Vito could get suckered into a sequel. Score: 2 / 10

It takes a thief to catch a thief.. And it takes a thief to save a thief.. But the worst that could happen is to have small thieves unite with big thieves to trick the law..To the extent that the only cop to execute justice became the queer of this very world (!) according to its disturbed logic where all of its characters turned into robber, or robbed, or robber robbed in the same time..As the truthful theory of the movie (everybody steals in a way !).Although it's good moral for a comic movie and it was nice altogether but you would sense that it's all average in comparison with its talents or ideas. Moreover look at (Martin Lawrence), this role is maybe one of his best in years but he's doing whatever he wants, just remember the first intro of him; the word to describe it is : exaggeration. Not to mention that the scene of the courtroom wasn't that wonderful, how (Bernie Mac) was totally wasted, how (John Leguizamo) wasn't that funny as the sidekick, and how (Matthew Chapman) the scriptwriter of (Color of Night - 1994) and (Runaway Jury - 2003) wrote a comedy for (Lawrence) and (DeVito) ?? So I didn't like most of the dialogue nor the silly title which was bad luck before bad choice ! Still some things to love for instance : the dazzling presence of miss misfortune of Hollywood (Carmen Ejogo), some clever touches like the musical bits at (William Fichtner)'s appearances as the (Detective), and the originality of the story in the first place. But those elements couldn't manage to make a good movie about the kinds of thievery, or even that effective comedy through it.

This lackluster comedy lacked a few more things as well. Such as decent acting, humor, and a good script. I can't say it was all bad, there were some funny parts; just enough to keep me from turning the movie off. I guess the Lawrence/DeVito tandem was worth exploring to see what would be the result. What's the worse that could happen huh? Nothing more than a lousy movie that would have everyone complaining. But then again, Martin is used to that.Well, it's been done, now we know never to experiment with big ears and short people again. The chemistry just wasn't there, and it seems like Martin is lacking a lot of chemistry these days.

If the box office rest of summer ends up as good as this movie was, movie fans will be in for a real treat. Martin Lawrence returns to the big screen with his hilarious brand of humor as he teams with Danny DeVito in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" revolves around a would-be burglar named Kevin Caffrey, played by Lawrence, is caught in the act by the home owner, billionaire Max Fairbanks, played by DeVito. The tables are turned when Fairbanks steals Caffrey's ring given to him by his girlfriend. The rest of the film circles around getting the ring back. From this moment on, I knew I was going to be watching one funny film.Joining Lawrence and DeVito is John Leguizamo as Kevin's partner in crime, Burger, Carmen Ejogo as Kevin's girlfriend Amber and Bernie Mac as Kevin's uncle. The addition of these actors is evidence that "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" is a sure hit with all ages.Lawrence wears two hats in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" as producer and star and he has success in both capacities. Furthermore, he was a true asset as an actor in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" because he brought a unique brand of humor.His style is one to be proud of because he truly makes the comedy enjoyable and the humor so funny you'll be laughing so hard it will hurt. I appreciate his comedic ability and acting talent.DeVito adds credibility to one truly fun comedy. I couldn't have asked for a better actor to portray Max Fairbanks. There is not a lot to say about DeVito because his lengthy and steady body of work speaks for him. With so many great films under his belt, I knew I was going to be watching a true master at work.In addition to credibility, DeVito has presence and humor in that made me smile from ear to ear and start to finish. He is solid comedic genius that brings a great amount of comedy and presence that will leave everyone smiling.Leguizamo has a true niche for comedy as he proves in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" I wasn't sure how to gage Leguizamo because I have only seen one other film with him, so I was surprised to learn he was one of funniest and talented actors in the movie.The chemistry between Lawrence and Leguizamo was perfect because they seemed to work so well together. Leguizamo was a great compliment to Lawrence and his brand of humor. I enjoyed every minute they shared the screen because I knew I was going to laugh.Ejogo was a true pleasure to watch because she brought excitement and charisma to the movie. I relished each scene she was in because I got the opportunity to see a true natural at work. Mac was a true surprise because I didn't expect him to turn in a good performance.The writing in this movie is excellent as it compliments Lawrence's comedy and DeVito's humor. The games set up by the writers were incredible fun to watch since each scene skillfully crafted.Also, the audience received a bonus when the writer added action and suspense. Though "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" succeeds mostly with comedy, it also entertains with action and suspense.I knew with scenes like Kevin's taunts to Max over his cell-phone while he was in a senate sub-committee, "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" will entertain every single person who buys a ticket for this movie. I could not ask for anything more from the writers of "What's The Worst That Could Happen" because watching this story play out is a thing of beauty.One solid guarantee I can make to potential viewers of this movie: "What's The Worst That Could Happen" will leave you laughing until it hurts. Lawrence and DeVito are a lethal comedic team that fills the screen with laughter, suspense and action. "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" is one of the most entertaining films I've seen.I hope everyone gets the chance to see how great these two talents come together and create one of the funniest movies this year.