Hall Pass DVD Review: The Less Original Version Of ‘The Hangover’

Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this when I saw in the theaters earlier this year, but I thought I’d give Hall Pass another chance. The film stars Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate, and Stephen Merchant. From the trailers, you’ll probably assume that it’s a movie similar to The Hangover, and you will be right to a certain extend. The film has it’s moments where you’ll snicker, but as the film progresses not only does the humor slip away but so does the grasp on reality. Someone got a little carried away when writing the screenplay…

Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play characters who have been married for a long time – and their relationships have fallen into the traditional woes of restlessness. In an attempt to make the guys realize that singledom isn’t what they’re making it out to be – their wifes (played by Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) give the guys a hall pass. One week off marriage so that they can get a reminder of reality. Naturally, the guys believe it’s a dream come true. It’s going to be a week full of hookups with beautiful women half their age…. However, it becomes clear to the viewer almost immediately these guys don’t have game, and they have no idea what they’re doing.

In theory, the plot sounds like it would be amusing. A guy movie clearly – but it seems like it should also have something comical for the female audience. But all it ends up being is a horny guy movie with failed attempts at unoriginal comedy. It’s all been done before, we’ve seen penises in an uncomfortable proximity to the main character’s face, we’ve seen the cheesy failed pickup lines, and we’ve seen the guy come to the conclusion that he has the best woman in the world. There’s nothing new. The movie where the guys get into trouble when the girls were away already came out, and it was much funnier and far more original than Hall Pass – it’s called The Hangover.

The Farrelly brothers seem to like Atlanta, that’s not only where Hall Pass was shot – but also the flick they’re currently working on – The Three Stooges. There’s a couple scenes that the Atlanta locals might recognize – but overall they do a pretty good job at disguising the city. Don’t expect to recognize too much.

Special features are also lacking on this release, there’s an additional scene and a gag reel that’s not as hilarious as it is labeled.

Grade: C-
Review By: Emma Loggins

Official Site: http://hallpassmovie.warnerbros.com/dvd/

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  1. Thanks for saving me from buying the DVD, but I’m still going to watch it since DISH Network is showing it for only 99 cents until July 7th. They’ll have it before Netflix and Redbox start renting it out, plus the premise sounds funny and I love Christina Applegate. I do know that they have other new release titles that will also be less than $1 because I work at DISH and they are definitely worth watching. http://bit.ly/kQa0db