Ben Stiller’s quick to DVD version of The Heartbreak Kid is a prime example of why Hollywood sometimes needs to think twice about doing a remake. The Heartbreak Kid was originally done by Elaine May back in 1972 in a funny, sympathetic manner but in 2007, Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers made an unsympathetic film devoid of real humor. Admittedly, trying to judge any movie against the genius of the previous Farrelly/Stiller vehicle There’s Something About Mary is somewhat unfair, so rarely does lightning in a bottle strike twice.
Ben Stiller plays Eddie Cantrow, a friendly, easy going guy who owns a sporting goods store. His skirt chasing father, Doc (Jerry Stiller) and his best friend Mac (Rob Corddry), are constantly pressuring him about not getting married. One day while Eddie is walking home from work he spots a man on a bicycle stealing a woman’s purse. He tries to stop the man but the thief gets away. Soon, the woman named Lila (Malin Akerman), are happily dating. Within weeks, with a little push from his father and best friend, Lila and Eddie are wed.
Elaine May’s version of The Heartbreak Kid is a fondly regarded film about a second chance at love. In contrast, it becomes clear from the moment that Eddie and Lila are married, that the Farrelly brothers chose to make a low brow film about two unsympathetic individuals. As the newlyweds begin their road trip to Mexico, Lila reveals that she can’t do any of the things Eddie had planned on during their trip for one reason or another. To top it off, Lila sings along to every song on the radio, driving her new husband to the edge of sanity. She’s subject to seasickness, bad at math, misuses vocabulary, has no money or real job, and even gets her husband’s name wrong, all while demanding rougher sex–and in more challenging positions than Edward (not Edmund) finds comfortable.
Eddie is no saint either. As Lila is in the honeymoon suite withering in pain from sunburn, he’s down at the beach, meeting his one true soul mate and reconsidering his wedding vows. Predictably, this woman named Miranda (Michelle Monaghan), doesn’t realize that Eddie is their on his honeymoon.
There are some laughs provided by Rob Corddry (as a pitifully housebroken spouse), Carlos Mencia (as a happily profane Mexican at the couples honeymoon resort) and embarrassing talks with his randy father (to a weird evening in Cabo San Lucas “hittin’ the devil’s lettuce,” but none of this is anywhere near Farrelly’s at their best.
In the end, The Heartbreak Kid is a disjointed film. The usually reliable Ben Stiller seems to be searching for his characters center throughout the movie. Eddie and Lila fail to make the viewers care about their story from the start and the film just degenerates into disappointing slapstick fluff. This one is for Ben Stiller diehards only.
The Heartbreak Kid comes to Blu-ray with a 2.35:1 1080p video transfer, which gives it a flawless, crystal clear look. The films Mexican locales look so stunning, it’s really a shame the move itself couldn’t have been half as good. The colors are extremely vibrant–dark color hues are deep and rich, which is not always the case with movies that use bright palettes.
This disc contains a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track. As this is a dialogue-driven movie, the audio is front-loaded and is basically a mono mix with some stereo separation for music. There are some surround effects during a wedding and when the main characters tour a Mexican town, but the rear channels are mostly quiet.
You can also watch the movie with DD 5.1 French and DD 5.1 Spanish dubs. Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles are also available.
The Blu-ray contains all of the special features released in the previous HD-DVD.
Commentary by the Farrelly Brothers: the boys talk about the actors and production.
The Farrelly Brothers in the French Tradition (SD) (16:34): the Farrelly’s explain their influences, how they got started and their theories on comedy
Ben and Jerry (SD) (4:59): the father and son talk about working with each other.
Heartbreak Halloween (SD) (3:24): seems as if the production was getting a little punchy while filming so they had a Halloween party with cash prizes. The piece shows the behind the scenes footage of the crew in costume while shooting.
The Egg Toss (SD) (7:59): more production time killers to bring the crew together. The rules of the sacred Egg Toss game are also explained.
Deleted Scenes (SD) (7:27): six deleted scenes.
Gag Reel (SD) (4:00):
Theatrical Trailer (HD)
