Barry Levinson directed this comedy in which success has a rather surprising effect on two old buddies. Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black) and Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) are best friends and next-door neighbors who work together at a sandpaper factory. Nick and Tim often find themselves wishing for something more from life, and Nick has a habit of dreaming up harebrained get-rich-quick schemes that usually end in disaster. Tim is particularly appalled by Nick's latest idea, "Vapoorizer," a cleaning
product which will make pet feces magically disappear, but to their shock, it turns out to be an incredible success, and before long Nick is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. Tim, however, is still the same guy getting by in suburbia he's always been, and soon Tim finds himself bitterly resentful of his old friend. As Nick gets richer, Tim gets angrier, and he develops a drinking problem. One night, in a bar, Tim meets an eccentric drifter (Christopher Walken) who offers him some not-so-friendly advice on getting even with his old friend. Envy also stars Rachel Weisz and Amy Poehler as Tim and Nick's much-put-upon spouses. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Charlie Kaufman possibly could have uncovered this story's true smugness. Instead, Jack Black and Ben Stiller exaggerate what works about their styles to the point of annoyance in a can't-miss misfire akin to John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's "Neighbors."
Not quite as good as it should have been, despite spirited performances from Black and Stiller and Christopher Walken on top crazy bonkers mental form.
Levinson nunca foi um bom diretor de comédias (Bom Dia, Vietnã deve seu sucesso a Robin Williams), mas aqui ele definitivamente atinge o fundo do poço.
Pinched, airless -- and so far away from any recognizable human behavior patterns it feels like a movie made by (and for) aliens who watched too many Seinfeld reruns.
Black comedy with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. Best friends and neighbours become estranged as one comes up with a new invention to dissolve pooh and gets rich, while the other is very jealous of his friend's success.
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