Life

In this hybrid of Still Crazy and The Shawshank Redemption, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence play a couple of mis-matched souls who make the mistake of being caught near a dead white man in 1930s Mississippi, leading to a life prison sentence. In the big house, the film continues its mass-market comedy approach--as the new arrivals learn hard (but funny) lessons about prison life--until stylized fantasy sequences and surprising sympathy for a gay character begin suggesting something a bit more ambitious. As admirable as Life's reach might be, however, it generally exceeds its grasp, since the filmmakers keep reverting to lame gags to reassure viewers they're still watching a Murphy/Lawrence comedy. The result is a stunted would-be epic that keeps letting key moments disappear in a losing battle between lofty goals and pragmatic Hollywood demands. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)