The Whole Ten Yards

In an attempt to recapture the cleverly convoluted screwball spirit of The Whole Nine Yards, this overcooked sequel becomes a jumble of incoherent storylines that don't converge so much as collide. Retired hitman Bruce Willis (in the Witness Protection Program) and skittish suburban dentist Matthew Perry are thrown together again (along with wives Natasha Henstridge and Amanda Peet) when Lazlo Goglolak (Kevin Pollak), brother of the goofy Hungarian mob boss killed in the first film (also played by Pollak), comes seeking revenge. Soon kidnappings, safe-cracking, dead chickens, vaguely comical pregnancy and impotency subplots, and even more vague secret plans (that are reliant on ridiculous coincidence) are cluttering the screen and crowding out any sense of cohesion. The actors seem to be having a good time, but director Howard Deutch fails to extend that sense of humor out to the viewer. This is not a movie made because someone had a smart idea for how to follow up the funny first flick--it's just a sequel for the sake of a sequel. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Howard Deutch and screenwriter George Gallo, and a trailer. Bottom line: a small extras package for a disappointing and unnecessary sequel.] (R. Blackwelder)