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63Strictly a middle-aged comedy, which consists of more easy lobs than sharp smacks, but manages to get the job done.
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60Lightweight but likable entertainment.
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50Ragged as some of it might have been, that old "Out-of-Towners" had a unified and surprisingly dark comic vision to go with its nifty one-liners. This big, glossy picture is set in movie-movie land, that shiny, peachy place where a celebrity -- like Mayor Rudy -- waits around every corner. [2 April 1999, Friday, p.A]
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50The movie is a mess of bits and pieces that try to gel but don't. Still, it is stupidly fun.
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50Competent, to be sure, with some good lines.
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50The only possible reasons to do this concept again is sheer laziness (it's easier to borrow an idea) and pure greed (it's cheaper to borrow an idea). [2 April 1999, Life, p.6E]
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As the harried household head in The Out-of-Towners, the thrill is gone. Martin's character is dull, and his performance is fatigued -- Hawn, a trouper, locates all the available giggles and wins applause for her big tantrum scene. And John Cleese is riotously funny.
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50You may want to take a chance on this new Out-of-Towners because of its stars, but keep in mind that while its characters take chances, the picture itself plays it awfully safe. [2 April 1999, Calendar, p.F-12]
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Don't hate yourself for chuckling at this sweetly anachronistic update of the 1970 Neil Simon comedy.
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40It's a little frightening to watch Hawn be "bubbly" at her age.
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40A slight, oddly lifeless movie with dubious appeal for even the most incorrigible Simon devotees.
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38Jogs doggedly on the treadmill of comedy, working up a sweat but not getting much of anywhere.
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38Unremarkable. A more honest description would be to label it as mirthless, pointless, and banal.
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30The only serendipitous touch is the casting of New York's "quality of life" watchdog, Rudolph Giuliani, as himself.
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30A dismally unfunny comedy, but that's not what's depressing about it. Worse by far is the palpable desperation in Goldie Hawn's performance.
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30Director Sam Weisman's pushy, subtlety-free direction certainly doesn't help. Martin is still capable of making a decent film, but The Out-Of-Towners isn't it.
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30Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin are appealing performers, but none of the energy, professionalism and gameness they display -- can surmount the mess that surrounds them in this misguided comedy.
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30Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn are too good for this embarrassing remake.
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25There are a few clever lines and Cleese has some sensational moments, but that's not enough to make the farce seem fresh.
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20The film has about seven minutes of good material, mostly provided by John Cleese.
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20There was absolutely no reason to make a new version of the 1970 comedy.
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