rooprect
"The Darwin Awards" is a breezy dark comedy that attempts to capitalize on the cult popularity of the website of the same name, but falls short in that respect. Still, it's a fun & entertaining story, well worth the price of admission.In the late 90s, coinciding with the internet explosion, urban legends (or rumors too juicy to be true) took the world by storm. Immediately, several TV & film studios jumped on the sensation, putting together productions like "Urban Legend" (1998), "Magnolia" (1999), "Myth Busters" (2003), "1000 Ways to Die" (2008), and "The Darwin Awards" (2006). All of the above focus on strange-but-largely-untrue stories of human stupidity, providing morbidly funny entertainment. The biggest problem is that "The Darwin Awards", while purporting to be based on the true stories found on the website, in actuality doesn't use any true stories but instead falls back on the standard urban legends we know so well. In other words, none of the stuff in this movie is true, despite what the title leads you to believe (visit the Darwin Awards website and click the "Urban Legend" link at the bottom).OK, if you can get past that, I think you'll enjoy the movie. The plot is pretty original: an ex detective (Joseph Fiennes) and an insurance investigator (Winona Ryder) team up on a road trip that takes them cross country checking out some quirky claims, while each of them confronts their own personal quirks.It does a pretty good job of tying together the urban legends in a linear story with some romance, laughs, mystery and a nice moral statement. Of all the titles I mentioned above, this is probably my favourite because it covers so much ground without getting too heady. In the end, it's great entertainment for an evening.Other films like this I recommend (dark comedies) are "Grand Theft Parsons" (2003), "Remarkable Power" (2008) and "The Last Word" (2008).
Jay Raskin
This is a hit and miss comedy with four or five hysterical scenes and four or five too confused to be funny scenes. It has some sharply original moments, but it also copies too much from the television series "Monk" The television series "Pushing Daisies" also seems to have elements in common.It actually could have been good as a television series. Joseph Fiennes is much better here than he was on "Flash Forward". At least here, he laughs and shows some human emotions. Winona Ryder gives wonderful support as usual.There are lots of stars here, but unfortunately there parts are only four or five minutes each. It is nice to see people like Nora Dunn and Juliet Lewis who don't work enough these days.Sadly, this was Chris Penn's last major film. He accidentally died of a massive heart attack brought on by drugs like cocaine, and over-eating steaks and chocolate milk shakes at the rather young age of 40. It is quite ironic that his last major work should be a film about the stupid ways that people die. Not to be cruel, as Penn was a wonderful actor, but his death could be added quite easily to the five or six ridiculous deaths and accidents that the movie chronicles.My favorite scene in the movie is the one at the Metallica concert. I have a feeling that Heavy Metal music fans often win Darwin Awards (awards for bizarre and stupid deaths).There's a good selection of popular songs on the soundtrack.If you don't expect too much in the way of coherence and can get into the silly spirit of the film, it can be enjoyable.Incidentally, you should keep watching to the end of the credits for one last joke at the end.
Armand
Nice. Simple. Hilarious. Description of stupidity's roots, small obsessions and accidents. Romantic pieces for a good taste. Some classical love story in the form of old recipes. And search of explanations for bizarres accidents. Nothing complicate, much gangs and a beautiful couple. Natural option for Sunday evening, simple piece of lost of time in a agreeable manner. In fact,insignificant and naive definition of human condition. Refuges, escapes and strives. Words and fate. All in a pink slop with expected happy end. An exercise to be child again. Far of adults life and careful observer. A film. Like many others. Spaces of dreams and graves for tension. So, a very nice movie.
merklekranz
While quite original in it's concept of studying people who kill themselves in incredibly stupid ways, the delivery is jumbled and not as entertaining as it might have been. If you were to lose the totally unnecessary documentary film maker and the ridiculous, cartoon-like serial killer, the movie would have benefited. When it is describing one of the outrageous idiots and their stunts, the film is in high gear. Unfortunately it repeatedly bogs down and this starting and stopping ruins the whole tone of "The Darwin Awards". I recommend simply checking out the idiotic segments and skipping the rest. This would have made a superior short, but as a feature it fails, because there is too much going on at once. Less would have been best. - MERK
AD
