Reel Critics

Craig Von Freymann

When I was waiting in line for a Sunday showing of “Rat Race,” I had a

very strange experience. I was about the 20th person in line and as I

looked forward to the box office, I realized I was the only guy in line.

The other patrons were single mothers and girls age 6 to 12. “Boy, I am

in the wrong demographic,” I thought as I suddenly felt a bad case of the

cooties coming on. As I got closer to the box office, I overheard the

mother/daughter pairs buying tickets to “Princess Diaries” and felt much

better.

The feeling was short lived, as “Rat Race” is two hours of slapstick

farce that lasts six minutes too long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as big a

fan of slapstick farce as the next guy, but the premise of “Rat Race” is

just too thin to sustain the movie.

“Rat Race” comes off as a made for TV movie following the simple

formula of how many wacky things can go wrong when sweet but dumb

characters attempt to do the most simple task. In this case, being the

first to get from Las Vegas to Sliver City, N.M. and collect a cash price

of $2 million. The race is sponsored by casino-owner Donald Sinclair

(John Cleese) who is only using it as a ruse for his high rollers to wage

on which team will reach Silver City first.

The movie wastes no time in introducing us to the six teams of lovable

losers who will race by plane, train and automobile to collect their

prize. Of course, everyday losers just don’t grow on trees so we need to

see why each team is in Vegas and why they need so much excitement in

their boring everyday lives. There are so many B-level stars in this

movie (John Lovitz, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr, Rowan Atkinson,

Seth Green, Nick Schaffer and Amy Smart) it was like watching “Love Boat

2001.” I guess Hollywood Squares on wheels would be more apt description

of the action.

There are some really funny scenes in “Rat Race” but again they do not

sustain the movie as a whole. I was particularly amused with the John

Lovitz’s Randy Pear, a vacationing family man who cannot resist the $2

million prize. Lovitz and his family have a harlot’s scene at a Barbie

museum and finish the race driving Hitler’s staff car.

An equally funny scene involves Smart’s two-timing boyfriend and her

skills as a helicopter pilot. Don’t cheat on your girlfriend when she can

spy on you from above.

The most overblown skit involves Rowan doing an Italian version of

“Mr. Bean” teamed up with Newman from “Seinfeld” fame. I admit I did

laugh out loud but it was no Shakespeare.

* CRAIG VON FREYMANN, 33, Is an avid surfer who enjoys the quality of

life and numerous leisure activities the city offers.