What's the Worst That Could Happen?

Slate David Edelstein

The movie made me laugh a lot anyway. It has a big, inventive cast of loons and a great premise.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Mostly a lazy string of setups and sight gags, of tongue-in-cheek confrontations between the two stars that barely amount to sketches.

USA Today Mike Clark

This dispensable comedy has a few unexpectedly loopy surprises, including an outlandishly gay detective (played by versatile actor William Fichtner), who loves the Ice Capades but loathes insurance fraud.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Best when DeVito plays off the supporting cast surrounding him.

New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson

Actually boasts a decent script with character development, a sense of pace and some well-drawn supporting roles.

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

This sometimes funny but ultimately convoluted movie would have benefited enormously from letting Lawrence loose.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Filmmakers run out of ideas long before the final.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

This frothy little crime comedy isn't half bad, bubbling with caper-farce energy supplied by a game ensemble cast and a source novel by prolific pulp writer Donald E. Westlake.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

I don't know when a bad movie has made me laugh as much as this one. Most of the gags are vintage silliness: foreign double talk, characters donning funny costumes, well-timed profanities.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Supposed to be a cheeky little lark but instead runs a narrow gamut from labored to aimless.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

It simply isn't that funny or clever. For a comedy, that's about the worst that could happen

Variety Robert Koehler

The star in this case is Martin Lawrence, who is not only thoroughly upstaged by nemesis Danny DeVito but is completely boxed out of his comfort zone for broad physical comedy.

TV Guide Tanya L. Edwards

Among the disconnected scenes are a few that are downright hilarious, and the actors do their best to rise above disjointed material.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

The movie turns into a cobweb of tricky spins and twists that seems like a hip-hop version of "Ruthless People."

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Laborious in the unfolding of its plot, and under Sam Weisman's brash direction the unabashed amorality of the material is crass rather than sly in tone.

Mr. Showbiz Larry Terenzi

Struggles for any kind of movement and cohesion -- and most of all for any kind of humor.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Lawrence forgoes his knack for verbal comedy and replaces it with crude nonstop mugging.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Certainly grows in its own right, into a coarse-grained summer vaudeville that could have been much smarter and sharper without losing its target audience.

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

Packed with gratuitous dumb moments -- which is too bad, given that the premise has promise.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Dumbed down to the point where it's barely recognizable as coming from one of Donald Westlake's John Dortmunder novels.

Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan

A film with almost zero redeeming value.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Dull, plodding comedy.

Film.com Robert Horton

The movie is a mess.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

Now and then sputters to comic life but more usually wheezes along.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Too many characters, not enough plot, and a disconnect between the two stars' acting styles.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

I'd rather watch a forgotten houseplant dehydrate and die.

LA Weekly Paul Malcolm

Comes off as a desperate attempt to breathe life into dull proceedings.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Maybe the worst thing that can happen is that every other movie at the multiplex will be sold out this weekend.