What kind of a name is Deuce Bigalow, anyway? (Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo (DVD))

Member Name: ermintrude

Product:	Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo (DVD)
Date:	10/01/01 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I'll get back to you on that one

Disadvantages: Plot, humour, cheesy ending, but still not bad enough to be good

Oh dear. Please do yourself a favour and avoid this film. I left my friends alone in the video shop for 5 minutes, while I went to get a pint of milk, and they rented Deuce Bigalow. Next time we'll consult Dooyoo first, and go into the shop with a list of possibilities.

I wouldn't say the plot was stretched, but Linford Christie's shorts are baggy by comparison. Dorky fishtank-cleaner guy is invited to fish-sit in a swanky house by its highly successful gigolo owner? When he trashes the place in true slapstick style and has to pay the bills, he finds himself becoming a highly successful gigolo himself? Women pay him just for his company (so he's, um, not actually a gigolo, is he)? I am perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief to watch a film, but I really should have bungeed it into oblivion for this one.

And predictability? You don't need Mystic Meg to see things coming (you barely need a brain), apart from the "perfect" girl's defect, maybe. I won't spoil it just in case you're ever unfortunate enough to see the film.

The acting isn't too bad, being somewhat above Neighbours standard, but no-one's going to win any Oscars for it. Oh yeah, that's right, they didn't. You're so busy cringing at the predictable awfulness of the plot that you don't care whether they can act, anyway.

Not only is the plot poor, but the humour is dire. Either it comes from sub-Farrelly Brothers humour or outrageous stereotypes. "Toilet humour" is an apt description (apart from the humour bit), as our eponymous hero's dad is a toilet attendant, leading to father-son conversations punctuated by echoing farting noises (and worse).

And the stereotypes, well... jewellery-covered, street-talking black pimp; enormous fat woman who just eats *all* the time; pretty girl with Tourette's, who only fits in when shouting abuse at a baseball game; newly blind girl who, well
, can't see. This is not one to watch if you like subtle humour - in fact, if you like anything below sledgehammer levels of subtlety you'll be disappointed. And definitely avoid it if you have any tendency towards political correctness! Basically, these women are the dregs of womankind, who can't get dates, and have to pay someone like our man Deuce. Poor things.

But, of course, that's where the cheesy message comes in, as Deuce finds that he likes being with these women, and they are (gasp!) actually pretty normal human beings underneath. Not content with trying to be a comedy, there has to be the moral ending - love a woman for what she is, and it'll all be okay. Thanks, Deuce. If it wasn't for you, only perfect girls would get dates.

Oh please. It's enough to make you barf.


I would recommend this film only, ONLY if you are having an "ironic" let's-watch-cheesy-films night, but even then you're far better off with Naked Gun, or even Dumb & Dumber. They do the grossout/slapstick humour better, and there's not such a heavy "moral message". Deuce Bigalow is very bad, but not bad enough to be good.

Summary: