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10/25/02
The Cable Guy (1996)
50
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:52
Fresh:26
Rotten:26
Average Rating:5.4/10
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When Steven Kovacs orders cable TV for his apartment, he has no idea how much he'll regret it. That's because the installer sent to his home is Chip Douglas, a lonely, lisping, parasitic geek, who... [More]
Starring: Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann, George Segal
Director: Ben Stiller
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Reviews for The Cable Guy
There are, unfortunately, precious few surprises here. The Cable Guy is being marketed as a “dark comedy,” which I suppose it is, to some extent. Honestly, though, it's just not dark enough.
01/01/00
What makes this film work so well is the oblique, dark, psycho edge Jim Carrey brings to the role, skillfully balancing funny with scary and thankfully separating Chip Douglas from his overworked Ace Ventura/Dumb & Dumber-brand characters.
06/05/02
As a follow up to hits Ace Ventura and The Mask, this black comedy curio bewildered Carrey's fans and failed at the box office. But its nervy sheen and strung-out comedy set pieces work well.
07/27/09
It's a fairly interesting effort -- much more ambitious than most Carrey vehicles.
07/28/09
Top CriticAs it is, themovie goes in one direction and the cable guy goes in another, and by the end we aren't really looking forward to seeing Jim Carrey reappear on the screen.
01/01/00
Top CriticNo review available.
07/29/05
Those who take Carrey's side will be turned off by his cruel behavior, and those that love to hate him will end up hating the movie's final softshoe. That problem aside, however, the rest of the film is refreshingly funny.
01/01/00
The Cable Guy is certainly a cautionary tale, but not about the dangers of TV.
08/20/09
No review available.
11/22/03
The film brilliantly constructs awkward situations that neither character can find ways to get out of and deftly plays with the bizarre nature of human relationships. What makes two people click, and what happens when only one clicks?
05/26/06
Holtz's screenplay, though, wants to be Rosemary's Baby meets The Odd Couple. Unfortunately, there's not a strong enough blend of the thrills and chuckles in it.
01/01/00
No review available.
01/01/00
Top CriticAn experiement in comedy. Hit and miss, dark and disturbing, uncommercial, but aiming somewhere much deeper than Ace Ventura ever could.
01/01/00
Consistently funny (in an intensely uncomfortable way).
02/03/08
No review available.
06/30/05
The mix of light comedy and really quite dark themes proved too much for many viewers, but this is worth a look for Broderick's performance and Carrey's obsessive touches.
01/01/00
A hilarious black comedy that proved too dark and too smart for its star's fan base.
01/23/06
This is certainly Carrey's best movie, but that isn't saying a lot. He's toned down a bit here, given his typical shtick a funnier, darker makeover, and basically become more of an actor.
01/01/00
If I'd known beforehand that Ben Stiller directed The Cable Guy, I might have been more excited by the prospect of seeing it. And I'd have been all the more disappointed in the end.
01/01/00
Latest News for The Cable Guy
May 20, 2009:
Cannes 2009: The Tomato Report – Almodovar's Broken Embraces a Comfortable Favourite
Pedro Almodovar is a firm favourite in Cannes, so it's no surprise to see his new film Broken Embraces receiving largely positive reviews from the assembled critics. The... More...
August 30, 2007:
Video Exclusive: Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow talk Knocked Up, Superbad and Walk Hard
And the pair nab their Certified Fresh award for... well, just about everything at the moment. More...
September 01, 2005:
Carrey and Stiller to Team Up as "Used Guys"
Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller will team up to play "Used Guys" for director Jay Roach, says Variety. It's a high-concept comedy about two obsolete pleasure clones who... More...
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