Double Whammy (2001) User Reviews

worth watching

[Stephenpdixon · 6/10 · 3 September 2007]

Now let me start off by saying this film ever won't win any awards. That said, I did find it surprisingly enjoyable, especially after reading so many negative reviews. It is kind of a Tarantino lite, with an urban setting, quirky characters, cartoon violence, irregular dialogue and strange plot twists. If you are a fan of films with a traditional narrative, this is not the movie for you. However, if you are a fan of Denis Leary (not unlike Tommy Gavin here) and you are a fan of black comedy, you might like this. It's one of Decillo's lesser works, but it's still more charming than what you might find at the Multiplex. I was rarely bored, and i had a few good chuckles, that's all i ask of a late night cable film. So give it a chance.

An Odd Movie Indicated for Fans of Elizabeth Hurley

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 21 July 2003]

Ray Pluto (Denis Leary) is a detective with a problem due to the lost of his wife and daughter. One day, he is in a fast food place, and due to a pain in his back, he is not able to avoid a massive murderer of six persons. A young boy uses his gun and kills the killer. He becomes a loser in the eyes of the police force and the public opinion and his partner (Steve Buscemi) convinces him to have a session with a chiropractor (Dr. Ann Beamer - the gorgeous and sexy Elizabeth Hurley). A complicated romance between them will grow. Meanwhile, at least two other plots happen, involving detective Pluto and other odd characters.

This movie is not totally bad, but it is impossible to label the genre. The screenplays 'shot ' everywhere: black comedy, drama, romance, and action, all of it mixed together. The result is very irregular, and there are parts enjoyable, other that could be skipped, other not resolved. It deserves to be watched at least once and is indicated for fans of the delicious Elizabeth Hurley, maybe. My vote is six.

Title(Brazil): "Um Policial em Apuros" ("A Policeman in Trouble")

I have a bad back and love humor, I can relate!!!

[LockportDonny · 7/10 · 27 September 2007]

This movie was on our cable on demand and I never seen it , so I thought I'd check it out. I have a bad back and I can relate to this character Detective Pluto. When your back is out no one knows the pain and difficulty but yourself. Additionally, it always seems other people less cooler than yourself are getting ahead while your in pain. It's a funny movie and I like Denis Leary's style in it. We need more people like this guy, as the world sadly turns to wussies. I like the plot, they made the two thieves kind of ruthless though and I don't see them being as ruthlessly portrayed unless some drug use was indicated in the film (none were). Anyway enjoy the laughs.

A nice surprise

[billybrown41 · 9 January 2003]

I was surprised last night when I saw the poster for this one at Blockbuster. Being a big Steve Buscemi fan, I try to keep up on his work but I must have missed this one somewhere. Denis Leary and Elizabeth Hurley were also top-billed so I decided to take it home. Once it was all said and done, I had gotten pretty much what I had expected: An offbeat comedy with quirky characters and some unexpected touches of heart. I can't say I care much for the title, but the movie does make for a pretty entertaining 90 minutes.

Denis Leary plays the somewhat burnt-out detective, Ray Pluto, who has just failed to stop a big shooting from going down at a local fast food joint. It's a mess, to say the least, and it doesn't help that the crime was stopped by a dorky seven year old kid with coke bottle glasses. This disgrace, and a bad back problem (which was the cause for the said fast food incident) has forced him to take a little time off, where he meets up with a sexy chiropractor played by none other than Liz Hurley.

Meanwhile, we meet the Superintendent of Ray's apartment building (Luis Guzman who's great as ever), the super's teenage daughter, a couple of identically dressed, bumbling screenwriters, and a couple of crooks who are even dumber. Since the whole thing moves at a nice leisurely pace, we learn that Ray is not the luckiest guy in the world. He recently lost his wife and son in a horrible accident and his big pleasure is to smoke pot and watch aerobic videos. His partner, Jerry (Buscemi) is having problems concerning his sexuality and the case that he was on has just been assigned to another detective. Not only does he have a recent tragedy to deal with, but also a bad back and a ruined reputation to restore.

While watching all of the fun characters, you can be sure that they will all cross paths sooner or later, and somehow, everything will tie together in the end. I had a fun time with this one and surprisingly, one particularly emotional scene near the end, brought a tear to my eye. That's very surprising for a movie like this. If you're not a fan of the actors or the genre, then you may have a hard time with it, but if oddball characters are your thing, then you'll be right at home. 8/10

Leary and Buscemi!

[mattressman_pdl · 7/10 · 28 November 2007]

Denis Leary plays Raymond Pluto, a detective fallen from grace after his bad back causes him to fail preventing a fast-food shooting. Worse yet, a nerdy seven-year old kid saves the day. Now Pluto, along with his partner (Buscemi) and his chiropractor(Hurley), is searching for redemption. And, with the help of a pair of inept screenwriters and some unscrupulous gang members, Pluto may save the day yet...or die trying. The unique cast works towards the film's strengths, as do the wry comedy, but the film's obvious low budget hinders it from achieving it's obvious potential. Still, it's a lot more enjoyable than most of the mainstream stuff that Hollywood is trying to pass off as entertainment these days. Buscemi steals every scene he's in as he reveals problems with his sexual identity.

Not a bad movie

[daverichter30 · 7/10 · 9 July 2005]

I just saw this movie, and I have to say, not bad. Not the best movie I have ever seen, but the performances by Leary and Busecemi were good. I, in particular, liked the work that Faison and the girl who played Maribel turned in.

::Spoilers ahead::

My biggest problem with this movie is this. Maribel pays two thugs to kill Papi. They try, they fail. Does anything ever happen to her? She had a hotshot detective (Chris Noth's character) on her trail. He knew something was up. I think, so did Pluto's partner. For that matter, so did Pluto. I wonder if the NYPD ever followed up on that.

All in all, an enjoyable movie.

Nothing special...

[rainking_es · 5/10 · 13 April 2007]

It's such a strange combination what DiCillo shows in "Double Whammy". On the one hand we got this cop whose wife and daughter have died in an accident, also he's getting through some difficulties in his job (as you can see, everything looks so dramatic). But on the other we got a series of bizarre characters and a lot of hilarious dialogs. That way the dramatic side of "Double whammy" loses all its strength... It works much better as a comedy, but the movie is kind of irregular anyhow and the style of DiCilo behind the camera is rather ordinary (it looks like a 80's picture).

Barely entertaining...

*My rate: 5/10

Have some good moments

[RainDogJr · 7/10 · 29 September 2007]

I really want to see Living in Oblivion for long time ago, i look in all the big stores in Mexico City but i can't find that film but once i see this one from the same director whit one of my favorites actors, Steve Buscemi and whit Elizabeth Hurley. I expect a great film,but is not very good. The plot is not great but i think that the film could be better whit the same plot. I love the part of the two black guys that want to make a film, is nothing but fun so if the film was whit the same fun as this part, maybe could be what i expect. The cast is good, Denis Leary is just good, Steve Buscemi's role is not the best of his career but still have his moments and well Elizabeth Hurley doesn't need to act, i mean she will always look good in a film.

As a conclusion, well this film is not great but if you are looking for a nice comedy whit some excellent and really fun moments watch this film. Double whammy: 7.5

Hard to believe...

[memattohyeah · 2/10 · 10 June 2004]

It's hard to believe that 1) this film got a release at all. It's not funny. In fact it's flat and very amateurish. 2) I can't believe that this is made by the same guy who made Living In Oblivion and The Real Blonde. Both of those films are funny and insightful.

Really great films. Double Whammy seems slapped together, full of half-baked ideas. A real let down. I had read all the bad reviews posted here but I usually like to make up my own mind about films. Especially when the filmmaker has made such great films before this one. You can believe all the bad things you hear about this one. A total waste of time!!

I'm making an appointment tomorrow.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 9 October 2007]

I can't believe how stupid I have been all these years relying on doctors and pills. Why should I suffer in pain when I could have some hot chiropractor like Elizabeth Hurley crawling all over me? I just have to make an appointment.

This was not an ordinary cop picture. Sure, Denis Leary and his partner, Steve Buscemi are trying to solve crimes, but they are really trying to straighten out their messed up lives. Leary's back causes him to be the laughing stock of the city, and allows the other cops to get a good laugh; especially Chris Noth, a big favorite of mine.

Leary seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time until he is hooked up with two whack screenwriters that can't even see a good scene when they are in it. It is then that he gets the guys that attacked Luis Guzmán and becomes the hero.

Lots of laughs in this film written and directed by Tom DiCillo.

What a lousy movie!

[oldsenior · 1/10 · 7 July 2005]

The director/writer should of gotten a co-writer, because he trys to get to some-where in his film, but falls short, maybe someone elses imput would have made the difference between a lousy script and a funny movie. I've seen Leary on different talk shows and he always seems to be on the edge, ready to explode, an angry person, always having to put some one down to try to be funny and make a joke. Maybe if he smiled a bit in this movie it might have seemed like more of a comedy, (talk about a grim dude). The writing was just poor and the direction at least in the fast food place was missing something, clumsily staged. And what-about the young girl getting away with attempted murder (we're supposed to believe she's repented (she crys) and there-fore pays her dues to society). What's the title mean? What's the eyeball mean? Why is the hero? smoking dope (I guess the director does), is that cool? Hurley's secretary could have been a bit more animated, instead of being a zombie, and made a more interesting character. Dimitri the cop was a pretty sharp dresser, his clothes and Leary were by some big time designer, although you'd never know it by Leary's wardrobe. Hurley always looks great and Bucimmi's character could have been better realized, what he had was nothing. In fact the whole story could have been better realized, tighter and connected somehow. Maybe the next effort will be better and not cost me $5.00 for the DVD.

Well-done; entertaining film

[caa821 · 8/10 · 27 August 2006]

Two of the most respected, famous, talented individuals in movie history - Jack Nicholson and the late Peter Sellers - have and had off-screen relationships, both professional and personal, at complete odds with their on-screen personas. In terms of his primary professional career - as a comedian - Denis Leary has a persona which can be described as harsh, earthy, laced with profanity, and with characteristics which often are vulgar. He's also very funny, but even those of us not averse to comedy with very adult language and demeanor can find some of his stuff off-putting on occasion. But on-screen, while he also presents some rough edges, in this film (as in "The Ref") he is likable, and is a also a competent actor (if not yet a "Sellers" or "Nicholson") who provides an engaging performance. In "The Ref," the splendid supporting performances by Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis, his neurotic hostages and later allies - along with the rest of the excellent cast - added to the film's enjoyment. In "Double Whammy" the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Hurley (Hugh Grant should have his head examined) and the other, supporting cast members, many recognizable for other capable performances, add to this film's enjoyment, as well.

But, back to comparison with Sellers and Nicholson, Leary is a man who in real life had been married to the same woman for nearly 25 years, half his entire life, who has significant charitable activity, who taught English (IN COLLEGE), and is as stable as these two were not - in reality.

We certainly can enjoy performances which don't reflect actors' personal/real lives (if this weren't so, movies and other entertainment media might die-out) - but it's interesting to recognize the virtues of someone like Leary, especially since, ironically, I've encountered people who eschew his movies because the don't care for his on-stage comedy persona. In this film, albeit's not being "The Maltese Falcon" or "Basic Instinct," and Leary not yet another Bogart or Michael Douglas, it still is well-cast, well-acted, and provides a competent mix of humor, action, romance, some surprises/plot twists, and drama, to provide an enjoyable hour-and-a-half spent, and rates a solid 8* (possibly even higher).

there's a real mystery here

[AlanBryan2112 · 6/10 · 27 August 2003]

The reason for renting this movie was a very good review in the UK music/movie megazine UNCUT (i said MEGAzine...Brit mags are totally superior to magazines here).

Then I saw a FULL PAGE ad for the UK theatrical release of Double Whammy for August of 2003. The ad called Double Whammy a 4 Star Film. The British critics loved this movie. I am not going to rehash their review here...this is my review. I could not determine why a movie ignored here in the US is suddenly big news across the pond.

I must be missing something. This reminded me of Leary's vastly superior but short-lived show "The JOB" which was an ensemble show of good comedy actors doing a non-laughtrack NY Cop Show. I would buy a DVD set of "THE JOB" right away. At times this movie plays like a busted-pilot version of "The Job" (ABC).

Double Whammy I'd buy on ebay for $10 or less. First off this LionsGate DVD is total bare-bones. Not even a trailer! Just sub-titles and the movie.

The movie is mildly entertaining. I gave it a 6 here on imdb.

Dennis Leary plays a world weary cop. He's fine but not agressive like he was in The Job. Here's he just accepts his fate and gets kicked around a lot. This is Dennis Leary-Lite.

Leary's character is a down on his luck cop with a lot of back pain. Circumstances make him a laughing stock of New York and he has to deal with that and his back troubles. He lives in a apartment building with Luis Guzman as The Super. Guzman's daughter argues with him all the time over getting a tattoo(!).

Add to that 2 other building tenants who get a LOT of screentime and 2 wacky thugs who make this movie violent.

Victor Argo as Leary's boss is funny; I wish he had been in more of the movie. Instead he's given the role of "superior who chews out cop in office". Something we see in countless cops and buddy-cop movies.

Chris Noth (Mr. Big in Sex and the City) as a stuck up cop (horribly overdressed) is okay. Noth's character is named 'Chick Dimitri'; how's that for odd? Steve Buscemi is almost wasted as Leary's partner yet he's 3rd billed with not enough screen time. Luis Guzman is strictly cannon fodder here and spends half his screen time near death.

Liz Hurley is good but looked sexier in Bedazzled. Here she looks like she's slumming for some cab fare.

The rest of the cast is nothing special. I hate spoiling a movie but this is a 2 star film. It might be 4 Star to some UK critics but not to me.

Rent at your own risk

Incredibly disappointing -- awful

[CarpenterKen · 4/10 · 24 May 2003]

I wondered why I had never heard of this film before stumbling onto it in a video store. I mean, with Denis Leary, Elizabeth Hurley, Steve Buscemi and Luis Guzman in it, it sounded like a can't miss.

Sorry. It missed. Badly. Incredibly badly.

Not funny. Stupid plot. Horrid acting.

If not for a couple of make-out scenes between Leary and Hurley (during which she flashes a little . . . . ), this film would not even warrant the 4 that I gave it.

Great indie flick, big stars, lots of comedy....a must see.

[GeneJasper · 24 December 2003]

I was reading through the comments about this movie and could not figure out why people were badmouthing it the way they were. I remembered this movie to be quite good and wanted to refresh my memory so I went out and rented it again. After seeing it a second time, I went ahead and purchased it.

This is a very funny movie with some witty acting and a great indie style. I think most of the people here that are rating this movie so poorly must be looking for the standard Hollywood blockbuster, made with tons of money and only ounces of heart. If that's what you want, go rent Gladiator or the Matrix (both of which I loved as well). But if you are really into films themselves and not just high dollar special effects, then go out and rent this fun and humorous picture.

Hammy Canney!

[meet_the_feebles · 6/10 · 31 December 2002]

Tom DiCillo made Living in Oblivion, while this movie is pretty good it's one scene that stands out for me is the "midget" in the dream. The "midget" complains that nobody has dreams about "midgets", that the only people who have dreams about "midgets" are people in stupid movies like this one. Very funny. When DiCillo made this movie he understood what it was like to make a movie outside of the movie world. He had some opinion. In this movie (Double Whammy) he uses two script writers, not as a statement, but as a plot device. In fact, a lot of Double Whammy is a plot device. Everything from the cop who's family was killed, to the average movie relationship with his doctor, to the extremely over used YELLING COP-BOSS! Hahahaha! Gosh, that never gets old, not even twelve years ago when National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 had the sense to make fun of it. Lots of things in the movie don't go anywhere. Some things are tagged on, and others should have been omitted. In fact if all that should have been omitted was, we'd be looking at a forty to fifty minute short.

However, something about Tom DiCillo's bright colors and the actors he chooses gives even this milk-dud some magic. While the movie probably deserves a four (out of ten), I gave it a 6! I know there is something here. I can't help but believe that he was only on his second or third draft when somebody said, "We'll fund it!" And not wanting to miss the chance to make a movie, he said,"Oh yeah!" and gave the early draft up as the final.

Advise to the director. Keep directing, but let somebody else do your writing. **1/2 (out of ****) (6)

Only two reasons to watch: Leary and Hurley

[=G= · 6/10 · 31 December 2002]

One man band auteur DiCillo adds another almost-but-not-quite pic to his resume with "Double Whammy", a carousel wacky comedy which creates sets of characters and then visits them sequentially going round and round until we begin to see how they relate to one another as the meager story develops. The film relies heavily on star power with Leary out front as a bungling cop with a bad back and Hurley as his sexy chiropractor. "Double Whammy" is a lukewarm watch with too few laughs and too much filler probably best saved for broadcast. (C+)

Sundance letdown.

[SIKORSKIB · 3/10 · 3 October 2001]

Why this played Sundance I'll never know. Two-bit writing and one of the most cliche-ridden movies I've ever seen. The only cleverness in the movie is that the wannabe filmmakers are racking their brains trying to come up with bitchin' scenes and dialogue for their "big" movie. Maybe the writer was showing his own process for this movie. I want my money back.

Why do they keep on making movies like this one?!

[TTaipale · 3/10 · 21 April 2003]

Double Whammy, the title already says everything that there is to this film. There is not much into this movie: poor acting combined with lousy story. Double Whammy is the second movie I have seen that stars Elisabeth Hurley and Denis Leary and although this is not as bad as the first one "Bad Boy" it still one of the most useless movies ever.

The movie provides some interesting possibilities but none of these are ever really realised. For example: the movie genre. It is not a comedy (I did only laugh once) but it is not a suspense either. The murder commited is not solved in the end and what about the charachter Jerry Cubbins (played by the great Steve Buscemi). He has problems with his sexuality and maybe they could have made some funny scenes based on that.

In the end, this is an uninteresting movie with shallow characters. Why do they keep on making these movies and why do I keep on renting them...

I actually watched something called Double Whammy

[Sandcooler · 5/10 · 15 October 2007]

A movie that does not live up to it's title and is not the worst thing ever. It features Denis Leary as well, Denis Leary. It's a long shot, but this might be the last of the stream of inferior Tarantino rip-offs, only with virtually no cunning dialogues and not that much crime. The shifts between stories that meet at the end is a bit like "Pulp Fiction" but then again, the execution is too poor to really compare the two. Also featured is Elizabeth Hurley (who can't really act but no problem) as a chiropractor who joins Leary in a needlessly complicated love story. It's like, somewhere in the middle Leary remembers grieving about his wife. Steve Buscemi is in this, but he's in everything so I don't even need to mention that. Still, one can only wonder what made him appear this time, I mean he's like, Leary's sidekick, occasionally, he has about three lines. About the plot, the janitor of a cop's building gets himself nearly killed, and his daughter has something to with it (major early killing of subplot,what did Chick do in the end? Obviously he couldn't just let it slide). An unfunny subplot revolves about two movie writers including, and I wish this was a joke, a Cuba Gooding Jr. rip-off. The other one is the typical guy in the video store who really doesn't know anything about movies not featuring stoned people. Not the highlight of cinema, and barely amusing(the few good comments come from the underused Buscemi), but fairly enjoyable.

One word: awesome!

[saviovega · 10/10 · 29 December 2002]

With a cast that includes Denis Leary AND Steve Buscemi, it's almost impossible to go wrong and this movie proves it! This flick has plenty of hilarious must-see scenes. An example: When Leary is explaining to Buscemi on the phone that girls sometimes call each other guys (when they say, 'let's go guys!') but guys could never call each other girls (Buscemi: 'cause then it would seem they're fagots, right?). Hell, I'm laughing now just thinking about it!

The two guys who are writing a movie script in an empty room with just a dummy tied to a chair on which they try different torturing techniques, are very funny also.

See this movie and you definitely won't be disappointed!

An absolute disgrace

[xshitz · 1/10 · 5 February 2004]

Wow, sometimes renting a film on a whim can lead to utter disaster. DOUBLE WHAMMY attempts to cover the entire emotional spectrum, and misses at every turn. Homicide is used for comic effect, homicide is used for dramatic effect; homophobia is used for comic effect. Dennis Leary is following Eddie Murphy's path of having once been a genuine talent, trapped in a career of schlock and crap. Elizabeth Hurley is Elizabeth Hurley -- she looks good, but just won't stop trying to "act."

Don't let the reasonably decent cast fool you, as it fooled me. Steve Buscemi is terrible in this, Dennis Leary and Chris Noth are awful, Elizabeth Hurley is Elizabeth Hurley, and Luis Guzmán not good. It's not their fault -- they have next to nothing to work with.

Pass this one by.

surprising

[padre_delmar · 22 July 2003]

To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much from this. The trailer made it out to be a poor Tarantino rip off, and I haven't exactly been blown away by Tom DiCillo's output in the past. However, all in all, it wasn't half bad. I thought the main plot line of Dennis Leary being made a public laughing stock was handled well. There's a nice in-joke where Elizabeth Hurley over reacts at people smoking in a restaurant whilst on a date with Dennis Leary, which anal nerds like me can pat themselves on the back for spotting. Also, it's nice to see Donald Faison(Turk from 'Scrubs') make the move on to the big screen, even if it is only a small independent comedy. Maybe I just enjoyed this because it's been so long since I've seen a good American comedy in the cinema, or maybe because I was expecting it to fall flat in it's face. And sure, it's not perfect. Hurley is as wooden as ever. The plot involving Luis Guzman's daughter having him killed is a little unbelievable, as the daughter is given very little motivation for this. Also, I understand that Leary's character getting off on a cheerleading video is meant to be light-hearted and humorous, but I found it a little degrading. Especially when it follows a completely gratuitous and unmotivated shot of a cheerleader's pants in the opening burger bar scene.

However, these are minor grumbles and this is, on a whole, a finely executed piece of work.

More leery than Leary...

[ThurstonHunger · 4/10 · 13 July 2004]

As Icarus flew too close to the sun, this film treads a tad too near the cliches that it wants to mock. Stretched between a love story, a cop buddy pic and a comedy...we wind up with less than a third of a whammy.

But that third is alright. Leary remains very watchable, like a match under a magnifying glass...I can only hope there is a DVD wherein he gets to flambe the weaker elements of this production. Or maybe he just did the film as a chance for some body heat with Bessy Hurley. One of the funniest moments in the film for me was her as the sorrowful, stood-up woman. That still cracks me up...

As did some other legitimate aspects of the film...imagine the audacity of a child killer as a hero...and it actually is kinda funny. Buscemi has a few moaning moments, especially his line about a "bucket of crack." Luis Guzman plays Luis Guzman better than anybody going...for a guy who works in such broad caricatures, he always manages to bring out a nuance or two. The highlight however was the use of the Tarateenagers drawing up their Cannes-destined screenplay, in particular I thought Donald Faison was way too good for this sort of movie.

In the end this film is cobbled together from too many films cobbled together from too many other films. But for a Monday night veg, it was okay for me... It was one of the few HBO films I could get through these days. Do they have to make their home-cooking look so good by running it up against so much dreck? Or does one hour of "Six Feet Under" or Tony Soprano end up costing me 167 hours of straight-to-video...plus the occasional blockbuster that I already saw on the big screen or more likely skipped because it was too $tupid.

Speaking of Tony Soprano, this film had a hit in it that just plain misses. On the plus side it also had a dream sequence, in fact I wish the time spent in the dream sequence went on, for I don't know, 2/3 of the movie.

I'm sure glad I didn't know that the force behind this was the same guy who brought us "Living in Oblivion" and "Box of Moonlight" that would have made it even more disappointing. Relegating it from a Monday night veg to a post-car-accident watch and forget your life blur if you can.

Worth a note or two is the soundtrack using NYC notable note-benders like "Lazy Boy" and Marc Ribot. Ultimately it was Susan Shopmaker who stole this show...

4/10

Hey, it's that guy!

[aqua_swing · 4/10 · 26 March 2005]

Ah, Denis Leary movies. They're always up for either fun and silly (The Ref, Suicide Kings), the kind of movie to make you nauseous (Two if by sea, Operation Dumbo Drop), or completely unexpected (Final). When you mix all three of them you tend to think you're bound to get something good, but alas, you get disappointed. Here's where Double Whammy sets in. This is one of those kind of movies that has no plot and is filled with watchers saying "Hey, it's that guy!", and that's probably the most fun you get out of this one, save the occasional laugh where-be there are a bunch of things I've never seen in a movie before. But the rest of the movie was complete and utter boredom. It was like when you watch Quantum Leap and go "AUUUGH another lame part!", only this was the whole movie. Howabout I add in the fact that other than the main two characters, there was NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! The only reason it got two stars was because the chemistry between Hurley and Leary made me feel okay.