Posted on: Friday, June 1, 2001

Movie Scene
DeVito, Lawrence duke it out in so-so comedy

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

"What's the Worse That Could Happen?" is a so-so comedy with a dubious moral undertow, about the conflict that develops between a house burglar (Martin Lawrence) and his victim, an unscrupulous business tycoon (Danny DeVito). Sam Weisman directs. MGM, 95 mins. PG-13, with innuendo and profanity. Two Stars = Fair

"What's the Worse That Could Happen?" stars Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito in a so-so comedy that falls short of its promising premise and never overcomes the unsettling amorality of its dubious hero.

Lawrence plays Kevin Caffrey, a likable guy who just happens to be a veteran burglar. In his latest job, he attempts to rob the palatial mansion owned by business tycoon Max Fairbanks (Danny DeVito).

But Max catches Kevin in the act and holds him at gunpoint until the cops arrive. Then, in a parting gesture, Max claims a ring on Kevin's finger is one of the stolen objects, and takes it.

In truth, the ring is Kevin's — and it's a special gift from his girlfriend — so he's mad. He fails to see the humor in a thief getting robbed by a victim.

The rest of the meandering movie follows Kevin's convoluted efforts to retrieve his ring, and Max's mean-spirited passion to keep it on his own finger.

Friends and associates of both men feel they're acting looney.

Kevin's girlfriend, Amber (Carmen Ejogo) is forgiving, and wishes he'd stop trying to get the ring. (However, she never seems bothered, in general, that her boyfriend is a thief.)

And Kevin's friends, a fellow burglar (John Leguizamo) and a fence (the very funny Bernie Mac), would like to see Kevin return to his normal, lucrative career, stealing things.

Kevin's circle, in fact, is a friendly group that never questions its career choice.

Max, meanwhile, is pressured to give up the ring obsession by his long-suffering wife (Nora Dunn), by his former mistress and astrologer (Glenne Headly), by his also-long-suffering attorney (Richard Schiff), and by his wacky head of security (Larry Miller).

Meanwhile, both men come under scrutiny of a quirky cop (William Fichtner), who is portrayed, a bit too obviously, as a pastel-wearing, poodle-walking effeminate.

Director Sam Weisman (of "Bye, bye Love" and "George of the Jungle") attempts to strike a parallel between Kevin's overt thievery and Max's more subtle corporate crimes. However, Matthew Chapman's script dilutes the attempt, because it's so vague about Max's business dealings.

A mess of bankruptcy and corruption charges and hearings pile up in the second half of the film — and the lack of clarity simply makes them boring.

Lawrence is relatively restrained, amiable and amusing as Kevin, though it's hard to get by the film's apparent endorsement of Kevin's unchanging criminal lifestyle.

DeVito has juicy fun as the film's frustrated villain. But then, it's easier to enjoy Max since there's no effort, thank goodness, to justify HIS crimes.

As summer comedies go, `What's the Worse That Could Happen?" isn't the worse that could happen. But it's not the best either.