Rat Race (2001)

A Las Vegas casino magnate, determined to find a new avenue for wagering, sets up a race for money. (IMDb)

Its over-the-top plot contrivance-driven brand of comedy isn’t particularly clever or subtle, of course, but so help me, some dud bits aside, I still laughed quite a bit (the Jewish Pear family in Hitler’s car, Enrico and Zack delivering the human heart, and Owen with the bus full of Lucys were standout storylines) and Sinclair and his buds’ ridiculous bets were a fun side-gag. The misguided attempt at a heartwarming ending sticks out like a sore thumb though (Smash Mouth+crowd surfing=eyeroll).

6.5/10 (Alright)

 

Ghost (1990)

After an accident leaves a young man dead, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic. (IMDb)

A misguided jumble of genres: The romance is repetitive (cue the corny love song, awkward medium third wheel [“Tell her…”; “He says…”] and slow touching), the supernatural element is consistently cheesy and visually awful (the dragging to hell and ascending to heaven are particularly distasteful), and the comedy is nothing special (Goldberg is alright but the writing is mostly forced). Leading man Swayze, meanwhile, gives a good effort but it’s just hard to take him seriously.

5.5/10 (Poor)