Susan Granger’s review of “WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?” (MGM)
It was a tip-off when M.G.M. sent me, along with other critics, a cute, white stuffed dog wearing a card, “Squeeze Me,” around its neck. I squeezed and the toy emitted a loud fart. That set the tone for this zany comedy about a professional thief, Kevin (Martin Lawrence), who gets a tip for an easy heist at an unoccupied Boston beachfront mansion. But as he’s lifting a Faberge egg, he’s caught by Max, the billionaire owner (Danny DeVito), who not only summons the police but, being both petty and greedy, steals the Kevin’s good-luck ring. “I robbed a thief! How could you not see the humor in that?” he chortles. Based on the premise of the con man robbing the wrong man, it become the charming, sympathetic bandit vs. the ruthless media mogul in a clash of titanic egos. They’re both stubborn and they both steal, just in different venues. With his edgy humor, the fast-talking Lawrence is almost convincing as a connoisseur – “I got an eye!” – while Danny DeVito’s street-smart timing is on the mark. Written by Matthew Chapman from Donald Westlake’s novel, and directed by Sam Weisman, the film also features beautiful Carmen Ejogo as Kevin’s British girlfriend and John Leguizamo as his bumbling buddy, most memorable as he impersonates a sheik’s valet. Other quirky characters include rugged William Fichtner as the detective, Nora Dunn as Max’s shrill wife, Glenne Headley as his tarot-card reading assistant and Richard Schiff as his lawyer. Producers chose this June 1st release date since a year ago, Martin scored with “Big Momma’s House” and, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, they’re hoping for deja vu all over again. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “What’s the Worst That Could Happen” is a simplistic, silly 4. As for Kevin and Max, the ring’s inscription says it all: “Grow up!”
