Nothing seems to ring true in this formulaic story.
Lucky Numbers (1999)
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Reviews Counted:93
Fresh:21
Rotten:72
Average Rating:4/10
Consensus: Nora Ephron's attempt at dark comedy is an uneven product, both in terms of the direction and the acting. The characters are unlikable to the point where you don't care what happens to them, and Ephron condescends to the material.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] language, sexuality, some drug use and brief violence
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Oct 27, 2000 Wide
Box Office: $9,534,013
Synopsis: Russ Richards (John Travolta) seems to have it all. A popular local television weatherman from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he has a reserved parking space and table at his favorite restaurant, a... Russ Richards (John Travolta) seems to have it all. A popular local television weatherman from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he has a reserved parking space and table at his favorite restaurant, a beautiful Jaguar convertible, and a rambling house. Unfortunately, he's also squandered most of his money, and the snowmobile dealership that he owns is going under because of a warm winter that shows no signs of snow. Desperate for a financial break, Russ seeks guidance from his friend Gig (Tim Roth), a sleazy Brit who owns a strip club and has connections with various undesirables. Initially, Gig's suggestion that Russ should rig the state lottery makes Russ cringe, but out of desperation he enlists the help of the Lotto lady, Crystal (Lisa Kudrow), and they fix the numbers of a six-million-dollar drawing. Of course, the plan goes terribly wrong in this clever dark comedy from director Nora Ephron (YOU'VE GOT MAIL, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE). The all-star cast includes Michael Rapaport as psychotic Dale the Thug, Bill Pullman as lackadaisical Detective Lakewood, Ed O'Neill as Crystal and Russ's boss, and Michael Moore as Crystal's seemingly straitlaced cousin. [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Ed O'Neill, Tim Roth
Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Ed O'Neill, Tim Roth, Michael Weston, Michael Rapaport, Michael Moore, Daryl Mitchell, Bill Pullman, Nick Loren
Director: Nora Ephron
Director: Nora Ephron
Producer: Nora Ephron, Andrew Lazar, Jonathan D. Krane, Sean Daniel
Screenwriter: Adam Resnick
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Reviews for Lucky Numbers
The jokes waft off the screen and pelt the audience with all the force of dust specks.
Starts out brilliantly, chugs along quite nicely for a while, then wilts and dies just before it ends.
If [Ephron is] going to incorporate shootings, bludgeonings and obscene language into her work, she's going to need more practice.
A roundelay of frenzied action that racks up deal after extortionate deal and body after body while hit after retro hit plays on the soundtrack; sound and fury, pretty much about nothing.
Filled with enough laughs (there's an amazing visual gag involving a semi-truck) and good performances that it's probably worth a look.
No one in Lucky Numbers is either likable or interestingly offbeat -- and you need one or the other quality to hold your attention through this slimy enterprise.
Instead of becoming involved in the convoluted plot, we stand on the outside looking in, not laughing enough to make it all worthwhile.
Each idea is good for maybe one and a half funny moments, tops. Add them up, and you may have a halfway-decent sitcom episode but not a movie.
To say that it hasn't been a very good year for John Travolta may be the understatement of all time.
While there are a few decent laughs to be had here and there, the film's a bit too listless when it should have been more hyperactive and too dull when it should have been razor-sharp.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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