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Saving Silverman (R Rated Version)

Saving Silverman (R Rated Version)

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $13.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A modern day "Three Stooges"
Review: This film has no pretentions about it: it is a slapstick, in your face, low brow side splitter.

Many reviewers elsewhere have derided its lack of character development, its "cruelty", its appeal to the lowest common denominator etc etc. Well pleeeease! Could these people get a life!

The plot, such as it is, has been well ventilated by now. Three life long buddies; losers all. Enter scheming, manipulative seductress who steals Silverman away. Cue the ridiculously inept attempts by his friends to "save him". Neil Diamond (who better?) saves the day.

Given this scenario, who needs or expects character development or sophisticated humour. This film has a ludicrous plot, and it succeeds or fails on its commitment to its essential silliness.

Judged on these criteria, Saving Silverman is hilarious. Jack Black and Steve Zahn are modern day incarnations of the old Three Stooges. Every thing they do or say is invested with a physicality and natural comic timing that is unrivalled. Peet is beautiful and really gets into the part of the unmitigated bitch. Detmar is a revelation.

Neil Diamond steals the show with his cameo. Who knew that his moody, introspected persona hid a game guy with a tremendous self- deprecating sense of humour. He has got a new fan here!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Previews Are Misleading
Review: Jack Black and Steve Zahn are both hilarious people, but while they did deliver some good laughs Saving Silverman missed its mark. I ** do ** like these types of silly movies (Billy Madison, Something About Mary, etc), but this one tiptoed the line of what is too stupid pretty closely. It seems like comedies released the past 2 years (Shanghai Noon and Little Nicky aside) rely too heavily upon trying to be the "biggest and baddest" thing out there by topping all other comedies released and being SO over the top. Jason Biggs had his second consecutive bad role in this one and Amanda Peat didn't have a good role either. Both of their characters in this movie are strictly stereotypes -- with Biggs stereotyped as the timid loser who can't get a date (haven't we heard that plot before?) and Peat as the "hardcore dominating post feminist movement..." female. The preview looked hilarious, but if you want some good laughs featuring Jack Black go with High Fidelity and if you want some good laughs featuring Steve Zahn then go with That Thing You Do.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Save yourself
Review: The basic premise here is that an old circle of three high school friends is seperated when one of them (Jason Biggs) is torn away by a beautiful, yet demanding love of his life (Amanda Peet). His two friends (Steve Zahn and Jack Black) do whatever is necessary to win back their old buddy, which twists and turns into silly acts of desperation.

My problem with this movie is that it uses uncreative extremes to get laughs. For example, Zahn and Black's characters dig up the corpse of a young girl, then drive it off a cliff in Peet's car so it'll seem she is dead. Now, I could see this being funny in a Mel Brooks film or something along the lines of slapstick, but here it just doesn't work. All of the situations lack any sort of comical inspiration, thanks to a bad script and what seems like an undecisive director.

This also has the usual annoyingly simple and unfunny protagonist character with the strange and unusual friends. The only problem is the normally funny friends are just annoying. Jack Black's talent is completely wasted and he didn't get one laugh out of me. Jason Biggs was good in "American Pie," but since then he's fell flat. His oogly-eyed character is annoying from the start and not brought to life at all. Peet is gorgeous and actually does a sufficiant job with her character, who is stereotypical at best. Zahn is the same character he's been from all his other films, except less funny.

To put it straight: it's not funny, it's not creative, it's not inspiring, it's just not worth it. Another on the long line of dwindled comedies inspired by the type of humor Adam Sandler is made famour for.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Biggs Made His Better Role Than Loser or American Pie
Review: When he has trouble getting a date, Silverman (Biggs) is set up by his lifelong best friends (Zahn, Black) with the girl (Peet) of his dreams. However, they soon discover that she is definitely not the right woman for him... but he's madly in love and wants to marry her. It's up to them to concoct a way of Saving Silverman.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't Be Fooled!!
Review: I am so angry at the people who put this out. It was a mean trick to play on the unsuspecting movie-going public! I thought with a title like "Saving Silverman" it would be a war movie like "Saving Private Ryan" but this is a dumb teen comedy. Not a single shot is fired in anger or for any other reason for that matter. Don't be taken in.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: More aggrivating than funny (around 2.5 stars)
Review: More often than not, I found myself wanting to jump through the TV and strangle Jason Biggs or Amanda Peet (usually both), and I must tell you, aggrivation is not something I enjoy feeling in a comedy. I felt a little aggrivated watching American Pie 1 and 2 also b/c of Biggs, but hey, when you've got Sean William Scott (as well as a bunch of other talented actors), you're guarenteed a damn good time, and anyone who doesn't like the American Pie movies has horrible tastes in movies. Anyway, onto this decent (but not great) movie.

First, the good parts about it (and I will not waste much time on plot so as not to ruin the movie). Anytime Jack Black (and sometimes when Steven Zahn) is on screen, you will laugh. Period! I've always believed in Black, and this is no exception (infact, this may be one of his best works, where he is just as dumb and clueless as can be!). Zahn is ok in this film, but he's been better. He's a little too serious for my taste here, but he provides a few genuine laughs. Also, R. Lee Ermey is hilarious as the football coach; sugesting that the best way to separate Biggs from his hell of a girlfriend is to kill her. Now, I will discuss what disgusts me about this movie.

First of all, the parts created for Biggs and Peet are way overdone. Biggs plays such a big loser (wow, what a shocker!) in this film that whenever I see him on screen, I want to beat him senseless and say "Quit being a G.D. pushover!!! Use that brain that God gave you!!" Throughout the movie, he constantly gives into Judith's (Peet) every demands, including butt implants, burning his beloved Neil Diamond albums (why young guys in their late 20's would worship Neil Diamond of all people is a mystery to me), and, get this, not hanging out with his lifelong friends. GET A G.D. CLUE AND QUIT BEING A MORON!!! ......Ok, I'm cooled down now. Equally as annoying is Peet, as she takes her character way over the top. She is such a horrible bitch that not even the hounds of hell would want to date her. I really was hoping that Black and Zahn would kill her, because the characters that Biggs and Peet play are losers you really wouldn't wish on anyone. (by the way, having Zahn marry Peet at the end is a lame way to end the movie; he should have beat the crap outta her!) Finally, Jason Biggs cannot act; period! Someone should just give him the pink slip and end his career; American Pie would have been funnier (by epic proportions) if he was not in it, and unless he completely changes his acting style, I will await his demise.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The general idea of this dumb teen comedy is that a group of three friends have been broken up by one of the friends' girlfriend. I watched this movie because I'm a fan of Jack Black, but this movie doesn't work on so many levels. First of all, you never really get the feeling that the friendship between these three friends is really very strong. So when they start kidnapping and planning murder, you don't really understand why they're going to all the trouble. Another thing is the obsession with Neil Diamond. It's never really funny and it just falls flat. Third, the chemistry between the supposed romantic interests is terrible. The characters are all supposed to be in such deep love, but you never see it in this movie. If you're interested in comedy, you can find lots of better movies than this. For Jack Black fans, head for High Fidelity, or School of Rock instead.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The Value of Freindship
Review: Steve Zahn and Jack Black deliver big laughs in the comedy "Saving Silverman". The lives of Neil Diamond-worshiping best friends J.D. (Jack Black), Darren (Jason Biggs) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) quickly change when Darren falls for cold-hearted Judith (Amanda Peet). Now, in order to save their friend, Wayne and J.D. kidnap Judith and try to reunite Darren with his high school sweetheart (Amanda Detmer). "Saving Silverman" is an outrageously funny romp. The story lacks strength but there are many funny scenes and some crazy characters. Steve Zahn and Jack Black are a great comic duo and R. Lee Ermey is hilarious as the boys' insane high school football coach and mentor. The wild comedy is presented in both 1.85:1 widescreen and full screen formats. The DVD contains a pleasant video transfer and a well balanced 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The DVD features an audio commentary, trailers, cool outtakes and added footage. Overall, "Saving Silverman" gets a "C+".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A movie worth watching!
Review: Definitely a good movie, Saving Silverman, brings to the screen exactly what the title implies: the story of two buddies who in an effort to hook up their friend (and third member of the group) with a new girlfriend end up introducing him to the wrong girl. Now they must try and undo what they themselves helped set up. Along the way, they get into all sorts of trouble resulting in a great comedy!
Jason Biggs, Jack Black, Amanda Peet and Amanda Detmer (both of whom are ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!), and the rest of the cast, have outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)!
On the negative side, the Neil Diamond element, with the singer himself appearing in the film, was a poor choice; not that interesting and not that funny.
Saving Silverman is simple enough, nevertheless, it is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs.
Strongly recommended for an evening's entertainment along with Road Trip, Old School, the Girl Next Door and of course (!!!) the American Pie trilogy.


Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Disappointing, even going in with low expectations
Review: This genre of teen/twenty=something comedy isn't known for putting out great movies. The formula is usually simple, funny plot, sophormoric humor to drive the plot, and characters that most people seem able to identify on some level, either personally or associating them with an annoying socially challenged friend. Of course, having Jack Black in the credits usually helps.

I've enjoyed films such as Old School, Road Trip, the first two installments of American Pie, Van Wilder, Orange County, et cetera. I would give these films 4 and 5 star ratings as they set out to do what we expect. Saving Silverman is hardly worth the $11 I spent purchasing it at the mall. Brief moments that illicited a chuckle, complete failure to generate a laughing response or any real interest in the story.

At least I found some of Amanda Peet's outfits to be interesting, and in this R-rated version of the film there is some gratuitous nudity, which add some value, alas, it's not enough to save this film.


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