Fun with Dick and Jane

The trouble with Fun with Dick and Jane is that it isn’t really much fun. It’s a terrific premise. Dick and Jane are a couple struggling to come to terms with their rapidly deteriorating financial situation after Dick loses his livelihood when the Enronesque corporation that he works for goes bust. There is untapped comic potential around both the couple’s dilemma and the opportunity for getting revenge on the bosses of the corporation responsible for their plight. Sadly, this potential remains largely untapped at the end of the movie. Instead, we see many slapstick capers as the couple take to crime in order to keep afloat. There’s nothing wrong with slapstick per se. Jim Carrey is a modern master of the craft. The trouble is its not very funny unless used in the context of a good story. Both Carrey and Tea Leoni make the most of their roles, but are let down by an underdeveloped screenplay.