Nathan Lane and Lee Evans play Ernie and Lars Smuntz, two odd-couple brothers who inherit a creaky string factory from their recently deceased, aged father (the great character actor William Hickey, in his final feature appearance). Ernie would rather sell it and run, but Lars feels a loyalty to the old man and a desire to keep the business going. They see a possible end to their financial woes when they learn that the rickety mansion that their father also left to them is not nearly as worthless as it would seem at first. In fact, it could be worth a true fortune. That's all fine and good, but one single thing is standing in the brothers' way: a tiny, extremely stubborn mouse who's just as determined to stay in the house as the brothers are to get rid of him.
Granted, this does get rather over-the-top overall, but a refreshing amount of black comedy to go with all the slapstick helps make this pretty enjoyable. It IS genuinely funny at times, with Ernie and Lars suffering the kind of pain and misery that we saw Harry and Marv subjected to in the "Home Alone" movies. Excellent production design, an appropriate score by Alan Silvestri, and a variety of visual effects aid in the entertainment value. The scenes with the tenacious rodent are a combination of real animal shots, animatronics (it's just too cute when the mouse retires to what he thinks is peace and quiet, in his little bed), and CGI. In fact, the mouse ends up a rather endearing character in his own way. If you're anything like this viewer, you may end up rooting more for him, especially when he shows a special kind of ingenuity in dealing with these pesky humans. It's like watching an old Looney Tunes cartoon.
Lane and Evans make for a comfortable comedy team; they're good enough to compare favourably to many of the classic comedy duos in cinema. They're supported by a solid variety of familiar faces - Christopher Walken (as a wacky exterminator), Maury Chaykin, Vicki Lewis, Eric Christmas, Michael Jeter, Ian Abercrombie, etc. Ernie Sabella, who was Pumba to Lanes' Timon in "The Lion King", appears as a pound employee from whom Ernie and Lars obtain a ferocious feline known as Catzilla. (It's no surprise that even this killer kitty is no match for our clever rodent.)
All in all, "Mouse Hunt" is good fun, and worthy viewing for people who enjoy riotous farces.
Seven out of 10.
Granted, this does get rather over-the-top overall, but a refreshing amount of black comedy to go with all the slapstick helps make this pretty enjoyable. It IS genuinely funny at times, with Ernie and Lars suffering the kind of pain and misery that we saw Harry and Marv subjected to in the "Home Alone" movies. Excellent production design, an appropriate score by Alan Silvestri, and a variety of visual effects aid in the entertainment value. The scenes with the tenacious rodent are a combination of real animal shots, animatronics (it's just too cute when the mouse retires to what he thinks is peace and quiet, in his little bed), and CGI. In fact, the mouse ends up a rather endearing character in his own way. If you're anything like this viewer, you may end up rooting more for him, especially when he shows a special kind of ingenuity in dealing with these pesky humans. It's like watching an old Looney Tunes cartoon.
Lane and Evans make for a comfortable comedy team; they're good enough to compare favourably to many of the classic comedy duos in cinema. They're supported by a solid variety of familiar faces - Christopher Walken (as a wacky exterminator), Maury Chaykin, Vicki Lewis, Eric Christmas, Michael Jeter, Ian Abercrombie, etc. Ernie Sabella, who was Pumba to Lanes' Timon in "The Lion King", appears as a pound employee from whom Ernie and Lars obtain a ferocious feline known as Catzilla. (It's no surprise that even this killer kitty is no match for our clever rodent.)
All in all, "Mouse Hunt" is good fun, and worthy viewing for people who enjoy riotous farces.
Seven out of 10.