Reel Review: Hall Pass is a 2011 comedy film produced and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by them along with with Pete Jones, the writer/director of Stolen Summer. It stars Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Stephen Merchant, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate. It premiered last February 25, 2011.
What’s Inside: Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are best friends who have a lot in common, including the fact that they have each been married for many years. But when the two men begin to show signs of restlessness at home, their wives (Jenna Fischer, Christina Applegate) take a bold approach to revitalizing their individual marriages: granting them a “hall pass,” one week of freedom to do whatever they want…no questions asked. At first, it sounds like a dream come true for Rick and Fred. But it isn’t long before they discover that their expectations are out of sync with reality.
Wrapping It Up: The problem with Hall Pass isn’t the premise, the cast, or the jokes that fall short of their target. Mostly, what’s wrong about Hall Pass is that in so many ways it seems to be trying way, way too hard to land its jokes. As for Hall Pass’ humor, the filmmaking brothers seem to have adopted the same philosophy with their jokes as Fred and Rick adhere to when trying to get laid. The Farrellys are an acquired taste and not for everyone, but their fans should find some hearty laughs sprinkled throughout Hall Pass’ swift 98 running time. The film however is for the most part just doesn’t feel fresh.