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What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 3.5/10
Reviews Counted: 98
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 88

Talented cast is squandered by an uninvolving script filled with unfunny gags.

Average Rating: 3.3/10
Critic Reviews: 31
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 30

Talented cast is squandered by an uninvolving script filled with unfunny gags.

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Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 16,411

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Movie Info

The novel of the same name by crime author Donald E. Westlake becomes this MGM comedy starring Martin Lawrence as Kevin Caffery, a thief who breaks into the supposedly unoccupied beachfront mansion of billionaire Max Fairbanks (Danny De Vito). Max unexpectedly catches the burglar red-handed and summons the police, but before the criminal can be carted off, Max impulsively claims that Kevin's lucky ring is his own. Enraged, Kevin vows revenge on the tycoon, and so begins a game of one-upmanship

PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Sam Weisman

Written By: Matthew Chapman

In Theaters: Jun 1, 2001 Wide

On DVD: Jan 1, 2002

Box Office:$31.1M

MGM

What's the Worst That Could Happen? Trailer & Photos

More Photos (18)

Cast

Martin Lawrence
Kevin Caffrey
Danny DeVito
Max Fairbanks
John Leguizamo
Berger
Glenne Headly
Gloria
Carmen Ejogo
Amber Belhaven
Bernie Mac
Uncle Jack
Larry Miller
Earl Radburn
Nora Dunn
Lutetia Fairbanks
Richard Schiff
Walter Greenbaum
William Fichtner
Detective Alex Tardio
Ana Gasteyer
Ann Marie
Sascha Knopf
Tracey Kimberly
Siobhan Fallon
Edwina
Lenny Clarke
Windham
Lonnie Farmer
Washington Condo Doorma...

Critic Reviews for What's the Worst That Could Happen?

All Critics (110) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (89) | DVD (12)

It's worse than the title suggests.

June 12, 2001 Comment

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

A pinpoint study in what not to do with an adaptation, as well as in why altering a well-known fictional character to suit a poorly cast star is almost always a bad idea.

June 11, 2001 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Robert Koehler

Variety

Top Critic

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

June 6, 2001 Full Review Source: Village Voice

| Comment

Michael Atkinson

Village Voice

Top Critic

This is the kind of do-nothing movie you eventually quit watching on an airplane. Unfortunately, theaters don't supply SkyMall catalogues to take up the slack.

June 4, 2001 Full Review Source: CNN.com

| Comment

Paul Tatara

CNN.com

Top Critic

Suffocated by its own plot.

June 1, 2001 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

Uncomfortably distasteful at times.

December 29, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Well...you could waste a few hours of your life. Does that answer the question?

September 23, 2006 Full Review Source: Supercala.com

| Comment

John Venable

Supercala.com

What's the Worst that Could Happen? takes a while to get going, but once it does, it's surprisingly effective, just as long as you appreciate it for what it morphs into - a no-holds-barred wacky comedy.

July 26, 2003 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

The most pathetic attempt at comedy in a long time.

February 13, 2003 Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

| Comment

Tom Grealis

RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

What's the Worst That Could Happen? The inevitable responses are that nobody will laugh, and the public will waste a lot of time and money on the DVD.

April 16, 2002 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for What's the Worst That Could Happen?

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The story focuses on a cat and mouse game between a clever thief Kevin (Martin Lawrence), and a crooked business tycoon Max Fairbanks (Danny DeVito), who turn each other's lives upside down after the former is caught burglarizing the Max's house and instead he gets robbed of his most prized possession: his girlfriend's

May 10, 2011

Deb S

Super Reviewer

I actually enjoyed it, although there was too many chacthers, the plot was loose, and it wasn't as funny as you'd expect, but I still liked it, Sort of.

September 23, 2009