Nothing to Lose (1997) User Reviews

Unlikely partners

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 25 November 2005]

What does one get when one mixes two different types of actors as the leads in a comedy?: A surprise! "Nothing to Lose" shows how Steve Oedekerk's gamble in casting such different actors as Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins can produce great results.

Not being a fan of Mr. Lawrence's style of comedy, we decided to take a gamble on this 1997 film that came and went without much fanfare. In fact, we had no expectations whatsoever as to what to expect because even the trailers we remember seeing at the time before its release didn't show anything of interest.

In fact, Mr. Lawrence, guided by the expert hand of Mr. Oederkerk, shows a man that can deliver without resorting to his usual excesses. Tim Robbins on the other hand shows an uncanny flair for this type of comedy and a chemistry for his co-star. Both these actors are seen at their best in the comedy.

"Nothing to Lose" feels shorter than its 98 minutes running time. There are also good supporting players behind the stars. Kelly Preston, John McGinley, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael McKean and the fabulous Irma P. Hall, who one would have loved to have seen more of because she is an extraordinary and accomplished actress.

Let this film win you over and watch it without any preconceived ideas because it's packs a lot of fun.

Nothing wrong with some good simple entertainment!

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 4 November 2007]

This movie surprised me how entertaining it was. It's simple like most other mismatched buddy-flicks but this movie has a certain bit of extra, which not in the least thanks to its fine solid cast.

Thank goodness it's not the type of comedy that forces its humor upon people. The comedy of the movie is more in the chemistry between Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins. Yes, it sounds weird but Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence are really a great screen duo, with some nice comedy chemistry, that get themselves into some fun trouble when by coincidence embarking on a sort of road-trip together. Like in all road-movies, some crazy characters pop-up. The most sensational one's in this movie are being played by John C. McGinley and Giancarlo Esposito, who form a criminal-duo. The diversity of John C. McGinley as an actor is amazing. Just look at the list of movies he has done and the characters he has played.

But the greatest power of the movie is the chemistry between the two main actors and their individual comical skills. Tim Robbins is a great serious actors, who just happens to like doing comedies as well from time to time. But on top of that he also really has talent for the genre. He knows how the deliver the lines in the right way and knows how to time his moments. Martin Lawrence also has been the sort of comical-actor who fun with his dialog. As a stand-alone actor and when he needs to carry a movie on his own he just isn't good enough but when he teams up with another great comical actor (for example as was the case with Will Smith in "Bad Boys"), he's truly at his best and most fun to watch.

The story unfolded nicely and slowly. Nothing got forced and things just happened as they came along, such as always is the case in road-movies. It at the same time also makes the movie surprising, or at least not as predictable or formulaic as most other comedies. The movie has a couple of greatly build-up moments, some more subtle than the other, but always fun and in some cases even hilarious to watch. Look out for Irma P. Hall as Martin Lawrence's character's mother! It's true that the movie doesn't live up to its fine fast paced start but nevertheless the movie remains fun to watch throughout.

It's a movie surprisingly well worth seeing!

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

If You Want to See Just One Martin Lawrence Movie, This Is the One to See.

[phillafella · 6/10 · 28 October 2003]

NOTHING TO LOSE is Martin Lawrence's finest hour and is really one of the very few films to showcase his comedic talent. Lawrence plays a jobless carjacker who meets a depressed executive (Tim Robbins) who is having a very bad day. The two team up for a wild adventure consisting of robberies, car chases and other encounters while being pursued by not only the police, but two rival criminals as well. While the chemistry between Lawrence and Robbins is quite strong, the highlight of the film is Lawrence at home getting his face smacked repeatedly by his mother. Simply put, this is Martin Lawrence's best movie.

4 out of 5

A Fun, Cheeky Film With a Cinematic Genius and M. Lawrence

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 27 August 2006]

Tim Robbins is a fantastic actor. He was wonderful in "Shawshank Redemption", and "Mystic River" and pretty much everything else he's ever done (even "Anchorman"). He was wonderful in this movie, even though it didn't really demand a lot of talent.

A man (Robbins) finds his wife in bed with his boss, and after being almost robbed at gunpoint comes up with the genius idea to steal his boss's fortune. Along with Martin Lawrence, he becomes a criminal mastermind.

Martin Lawrence is a great comedian on film. "Black Knight" and "Blue Streak" are both wonderful and this film is no exception. His show "Martin" was less sophisticated, but luckily he has shied away from that. The writer/director is Steve Oedekirk, originally (I believe) a writer for "In Living Color" after being discovered on "Star Search". He's now best known for "Kung Pow! Enter the Fist" and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls", and you'll find more of that stupid but clever humor here.

The film's use of music is funny, if poorly conceived. One scene involves an impromptu dance by Robbins to "Scatman" which should be stupid, but proved some chuckles. Odekirk cameos as a security guard who likes to sing and dance, which plays into the plot very well.

Add the very sexy Rebecca Gayheart, Michael McKean and John C. McKInley (who seems to guest star in pretty much everything) and you've got yourself a quirky comedy with a very diverse and talented ensemble cast. This will likely not be your favorite film and you might not even remember it a year from now, but it's certainly worth at least one shot. Because, heck, Tim Robbins can do no wrong.

Oh, and if you like vulgarity, there is a (very funny) scene where the F-word is used nearly fifty times in a two minute span. So, that's fun.

Robbins and Lawrence are a great comedy duo in Nothing to Lose

[tbills2 · 6/10 · 1 February 2014]

I love how Tim Robbins' character loses his mind in Nothing to Lose! Nothing to Lose is a really funny, very good movie, mostly for its interesting interactions between Robbins and Lawrence's characters in their hilarious adventure they share together! Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence is a somewhat unusual pairing. Writer and director, Steve Oedekerk, came up with a great premise, a man down and out in his love life feeling like he's got nothing left to lose, Robbins, crosses paths with a car jacking thief looking for himself a little something to gain, Lawrence, and let's just say the two then proceed to hit it off in a very funny manner! Oedekerk really did fairly nice to bring the film's premise together as a very good film, fairly nice, but the end of the movie is a bit of an easy exit, and the beginning lead up to the movie's main portion of Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence is sort of scrambled and uncertain of how to get into the story, almost feeling like a different type of movie, thank God though that the sensational Kelly Preston plays a strong presence in the beginning, but once Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence meet, Nothing to Lose gets very good and amusing. The previous sentence I just wrote is rather pointless and I suggest that you do not even read it, except only for the part about the incredibly gorgeous Kelly Preston, oh wow! Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence make this movie as good as it became. These two stars share great chemistry with great comedic timing, even Robbins! Tim Robbins has never been this good in a comedy! He is funny! And Nothing to Lose is one of Martin Lawrence's better movies; it's up there with Life and Blue Streak for Lawrence's best comedy. Lawrence's best comedy is Life, but I can honestly say that I like all of his comedies, and honestly, what am I talking about, I love Martin Lawrence, of course I like all his comedies. Martin is like my favorite show! Martin is the greatest, Lawrence, not the show, well the show is but, so is Martin! When I first watched Nothing to Lose I loved it, and nothing has changed. Nothing to Lose is so funny, and the two lead actors, Robbins and Lawrence, really make the movie great. This movie is one of the moreso unknown about good comedies so you should give it a good chance if you haven't already seen it and it should be definitely worth it.

"Good Comedy!"

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 30 June 2015]

Martin Lawrence, Tim Robbins, John C. McGinley, Giancarlo Esposito, Kelly Preston and Michael McKean star in this 1997 comedy. Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) plays mild-mannered executive, Nick who assumes his wife, Ann (Preston) is having an affair. Lawrence (Bad Boys) plays Terrance, a would-be thief who is looking for work. He and Nick cross paths when Terrance tries stealing Nick's car, but Nick decides to kidnap him. Soon, they get into mischief when they decide to steal together. Nick and Terrance become friends in the process and when Nick learns his wife is not cheating on him, he tries to make things right as well as Terrance. McGinley (Wall Street) plays criminal, Davis, Esposito (The Usual Suspects) plays his partner, Charlie and McKean (Coneheads) plays Nick's boss, Phil. This is a good comedy, Lawrence & Robbins are great in this and together. I recommend this.

Best Black Guy, White Guy Comedy ever

[thewag777 · 10/10 · 25 February 2005]

Even better than Trading Places. (I will only spoil the first 20 minutes.) Nick Beam, well played by Tim Robbins, is an upper-middle class white man with a pretty wife, a successful career in advertising, and a nice home. His marriage seems happy, but one day he comes home early and sees his wife straddling another man in their bed. He doesn't say anything. She doesn't even know he was there. He finds his boss's cuff links on the way out, and therefore realises that it was his boss whom his wife was on top of.

After driving in a daze at about 20 miles an hour, Nick Beam wanders into the ghetto. This is where Terrance, played by Martin Laurence, attempts to mug him. Well, Nick Beam is so depressed that he really doesn't value his own life, and takes Terrance for a little ride.

The rest of the movie is filled with their crazy adventures. A few robberies, and Tim's gradual transformation into a criminal. There is a hilarious scene where Tim has a spider on his head, freaks out, and... well you'll see. That scene alone would have made the movie worth watching even if the rest were terrible. But fortunately, there is plenty more wacky adventures for these two before the twist at the end.

Most of this is comedy, but it does get a little serious at certain parts. How could the producers contrast the lives of a well-to-do white man with a struggling black man from the ghetto without going into social injustices? Nick Beam accuses Terrance of laziness and wasting his time robbing people instead of finding a job. Terrance never goes into details, but just tells Nick not to judge him. Then, Nick discovered several rejection letters to Terrance from potential employers. Furthermore, Terrance, a mugger, has a wife and kids and he seems to be a good father to them. It looks like Terrance is more than a common thug.

Lastly, I complement the musical choices. The spider dance scene was to the song, I think its called, 'The Scott Man.' Something like that. Its funny. Later in the movie, Pachebel's 'Canon' is played. The song at the end of the movie is a rap to the music of 'Canon.' I don't normally like rap, but I liked that, very creative.

I give the movie a perfect 10. Its not a copy of Trading Places at all, but it does have a similar theme, rich white guy, poor black guy. This is one of the few movies that has made me laugh uncontrollably for more than a few seconds at a time. If you haven't seen it, watch it, and you will watch it many more times after, I guarantee.

Great chemistry between actors, great timing of jokes. Silly, but very enjoyable comedy.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 19 May 2020]

A bit silly, but the good kind of silly, with enough credibility to make it believable. Most of all it is FUN and that is all I needed.

It's the "let's laugh at other people's misery" kind of fun, because Tim Robbin's wife has an affair and right after discovering that he gets mugged by Martin Lawrence. Things go way out of control after these 2 characters butt heads, with lots of great race and class struggle jokes.

The good: great chemistry between Tim Robbins (serious) and Martin Lawrence (silly). Good jokes and good timing of the jokes as well. Spot on.

Any bad? It's quite a bit silly, but it's still serious enough though to be an enjoyable comedy for the entire family, from young to old, everybody could enjoy it.

Seen it several times over the past decades now and the jokes and the characters still stand strong...

Two on the road

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 24 September 2014]

Nothing to Lose is another one of these mismatched buddy comedies. As one actor is black and the other is white there is also a whiff that it was offered to Eddie Murphy who turned it down before Martin Lawrence was cast.

Robbins plays a man who finds his wife cheating and it spirals into a bad day as he encounters carjacker Lawrence but Robbins has nothing to lose and has a death wish and hence begins a road trip with Lawrence getting involved in hold ups and then they encounter two other more ruthless outlaws who pursues them back to Los Angeles.

The comedy and some of the scenes are rather corny and its also patchy. Lawrence although successful in comedy films has always been a little irritating and Eddie Murphy lite to me. Maybe its the scripts he gets or maybe as an actor he has limited range.

Robbins does dramatic well and also throws himself into the slapstick such as his shoes catching fire. However he also has had misfires in the past when he tried his hand in comedy films, remember Howard: The Duck!

There is some nice music especially the end title song but the film also wants to crow bar a social message as Lawrence is educated, clever, resourceful but unable to get a job and reduced to a life of crime. Not sure that works.

Quite Possibly One of the Funniest Movies Ever

[seamovieman · 10/10 · 1 April 2006]

I have seen this film several times now. I cannot stop laughing at everything I laughed at the first time that I saw it at the theatre. I had no idea what to expect at that viewing, other than the fact that I enjoyed Tim Robbins' work in the past and thought that Martin Lawrence was very funny. This did not prepare me for the life-changing event it was.

I once showed this movie to a then-girlfriend who was no fan of the comedy genre, and thus it was a big risk to even attempt viewing an unknown comedy to begin with. But sure enough, she turned to me when it was over and declared it to be one of the most intelligent yet gut-level funny films she had ever seen.

And without a doubt, she had summed it up best right there.

fairly enjoyable, a little off-kilter, a solid Robbins with a not-too-annoying Lawrence

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 20 October 2005]

This kind of "buddy" picture is something rather unexpected considering the director (behind such comedy "classics" as Ace Ventura 2 and Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, not that they're bad films). While it's not without some share of stupidity, it also has its share of brains too, somewhere. It's basically a B comedy with A-list stars and a pretty high budget, but it doesn't sell its audience short of the goods. Martin Lawrence will have his fan-base here as strong, if not stronger, than in some of his other starring vehicles. He does get some dimension to his character, as a guy who has the usual Lawrence-type sarcasm and humor and also some conflict with his life. It's a good balance with Tim Robbins, with his own sort of crisis as well. The plot involves a robbery, and some hold-ups, some hicks, and a dancing security guard. The overall scope of the film, with a soundtrack fairly standard, isn't anything great (although one scene where a song by Scatman as Robbins puts out a certain fire is one of the funniest scenes he's ever done). But this is made up for by some clever bits, and a good repore by the stars.

Nothing to Lose

[jboothmillard · 4/10 · 13 September 2005]

I watched this film after seeing a short advert for it on television, I remember finding it funny, I'm glad I watched it a second time to get a better opinion on it, directed by Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Barnyard). Basically Nick Beam (Tim Robbins) is an advertising executive who thinks everything is going well in his life, until one day he comes home, sees a pair of cufflinks on the side, belonging to his boss, and overhears who thinks is his wife Ann (Kelly Preston) having sex. Nick presumes that his wife is having an affair with his boss, Philip Barlow (Michael McKean), he is now on the edge of a nervous breakdown and drives around the city, unsure of what to do next. On the way, carjacker T. Paul, or Terrance Paul Davidson (Martin Lawrence), jumps into his car and attempts to rob him, turning the tables on the muggers, he kidnaps T. Paul and drives him to the Arizona desert. When things calm down, after Nick unintentionally robs a gas station, Nick explains the situation to T. Paul, Nick then has the idea to get revenge on his boss by robbing him. Nick and T. Paul devise a scheme to break into the office and steal a large amount of cash, Nick knows the combination to the safe, the best time to enter, and where to go, and T. Paul has knowledge of security system weaknesses, how to avoid cameras, and picking locks. Another criminal duo, Davis "Rig" Lanlow (Scrubs' John C. McGinley) and Charles "Charlie" Dunt (Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito), are blamed for the gas station incident, they pursue Nick and T. Paul back to Los Angeles, they have a confrontation, and Nick ends up getting shot in the arm. Nick and T. Paul make it back to the city and begin the plan, there are some small mishaps along the way as they enter the building, and a security guard (Steve Oedekerk) spending a few hours dancing to music in the office, while the pair are hiding and waiting for him to move on. The situation gets worse as Rig and Charlie, who swiped Nick's business card and followed them, hold them up and steal the money, and place T. Paul in a predicament, but Nick manages to get away. Nick decides to call Ann to confront her about the cufflinks he found and the sex he heard, she confirms she is not having an affair, the cufflinks were left behind after a Christmas party, and he actually overheard Ann's sister and her fiancee having sex. Filled with remorse, Nick rescue T. Paul, and they catch up to Rig and Charlie in the alley, they manage to outdo the criminals, and tie them up for the police to find and arrest them. Nick insists on returning the money to the safe, assuring T. Paul that the security footage will not be checked unless something is missing, stolen or damaged, but T. Paul wanted to use the money for his family, they end up in a fight and angrily part ways. Returning to work, Nick is told by Phillip that a fertility statue was damaged, they are reviewing security footage, Nick tries to stop them from seeing the part where he removes his mask, but thankfully, the footage was recorded over by T. Paul. Nick goes to see T. Paul and confirms that the incriminating footage was removed, they make amends, and in return, Nick tells Phillip that is he is looking for an electrician to work in the office, he should offer T. Paul a job, he happily accepts. Also starring Scream 2's Rebecca Gayheart as Danielle and Patch Adams' Irma P. Hall as Bertha 'Mama' Davidson. Robbins made many serious films, including The Shawshank Redemption, so this was a comic breather for him, fast-talking Lawrence is amusing as the petty thief who tries to rob the wrong guy at the wrong time, they are just about passable as an odd buddy duo, the story has predictable moments, and not all of the jokes are that funny, but it is fun enough to pass the time, an alright action comedy. Okay!

a pleasant surprise

[mattkratz · 21 December 2000]

When I went to see this movie in the theaters, I wasn't expecting too much. I was expecting to see a decent comedy with an occasional chuckle with some good lines.

What I wound up seeing was a hilarious film with consistent laughs throughout. I loved it. Lawrence and Robbins were well cast and worked well together. If you get a chance, check this one out.

*** out of ****

Strong comedy complete with a message

[Horror-yo · 7/10 · 21 May 2016]

Let me say this first as it should be the first thing critiqued for a comedy: the humor here is good. This isn't all typical American family mainstream movie humor, there are some really good moments mostly in situational comedy. Just Oedekeker putting himself in the film alone is a hilarious thought but the useless character and attributed scene are just hilariously pointless, and therefor very meaningful to such a comedy. But that's a detail. It's actually got suspense, is strong structurally, and as most Oedekerk motion pictures (ahem...that don't have THUMB in the title...) this has meaning and is very humane. Globally, it's a great coming together of two radically antagonistic leads and, naturally, the characters they play, while the two villain characters that follow their symmetry is a funny concept - it's well written, funny, with a point and whether as a comedy or as a film with its own tension and developments, it's just a good, strong movie.

There's a spider on your head

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 14 December 2013]

Nick Beam's life couldn't get any worse. He discovers he has been living a lie and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. S

o when T. Paul, a carjacker, attempts to rob him, it is the last straw for Nick.

With everything to gain and nothing to lose, he kidnaps T. Paul and attempts to put his life back together.....

Martin Lawrence churns these sorts of films out every five minutes, but when this movie was released, he was still riding reasonably high from Bad Boys two years prior.

But casting Robbins in this was a really strange move. He'd just directed Dead Man Walking, and was still fresh from that prison movie (to be fair, the audience this was aimed at, probably had only just seen Shawshank on video when this was released).

And its a really curious movie, not really funny, and it has a really depressing edge to it. Robbins is wonderful in his role, and just looks like he's having a lot of fun, doing this for some release from all the seriousness.

Lawrence though, is really trying too hard, and this was probably one of the last films where his schtick was just about bearable. He's still funny, but every one and again, you really want to slap him.

Its a fun movie, predictable right up until the compulsory Coolio song, but if your a fan of this type of film, it'll suffice.

Robbins and Lawrence Make Good Double Act

[slightlymad22 · 7/10 · 20 September 2014]

'Nothing to Lose' tries to be a few movies. Buddy Movie, Fish Out of Water Movie, Road Movie, Mistaken Identity Movie and Heist Movie. And in not settling for one it falls short of greatness. But that does not mean it's not fun.

The writer-director, Steve Oedekerk, is clearly a fan of movies , as he tries a bit of everything

The film stars Tim Robbins as Nick Beam, a corporate executive who comes home one afternoon to find his wife (Kelly Preston) in bed with another man. He believes it to be his boss. In a daze Nick drives off, where he is carjacked by a loud Martin Lawrence.

There are good moments. And some big laughs, some supporting actors get some good laughs too.

Rebecca Gayheart is lovely to look at, and stands out, while John C. McGinley is worthy of note too, and is reliable as always.

Predictably, spoils things a bit, as at the end of "Nothing to Lose'' everything falls nicely into place.

winning and losing, at the same time

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 16 October 2006]

OK, so most of Martin Lawrence's movies are pretty worthless. But "Nothing to Lose" is pretty funny. Tim Robbins plays a yuppie who gets fed up with his life and drives into the ghetto. There, he meets up with a hoodlum (Martin Lawrence), and the two proceed to form their own plans...at any cost.

I will admit that this movie has practically no artistic value, just a bunch of silly situations. But it's impossible not to like, as both men have to try and respect each other. And anyway, it's just funny when a rich white guy and black ghetto guy have to team up. Worth seeing, if only once.

I wonder if anyone really does own a statue like that.

You have nothing to lose but something to gain by watching this

[Kingslaay · 8/10 · 30 May 2017]

This was an enjoyable and entertaining film. Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence put on a great comedic performance as an unlikely duo. Both come from different worlds that one day collide. The duo realize they share some things in common, people cannot be judged so easily. This is a film with a simple plot, lots of laughs and has a strong feel good element. Martin Lawrence brings his unique brand of crude yet charming humor to the screen and Tim Robbins more than holds his own. This simple story has a number of twists, moments of comedic genius and a very satisfying end.

You don't always have huge expectations watching these type of films so you're pleasantly surprised and gained something from watching it.

Quite enjoyable...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 11 October 2022]

The 1997 action comedy "Nothing to Lose" is actually a rather enjoyable and funny movie. I remember watching this back around the end of the 90s, but I couldn't recall the storyline. So as I had the opportunity to watch it again here in 2022, of course I did so.

Writer and director Steve Oedekerk put together a script and storyline that was equal parts action and comedy, and managed to blend the two genres in a very enjoyable and entertaining manner. And that really makes "Nothing to Lose" a good movie, one that has withstood the passing of time with grace. "Nothing to Lose" is every bit as enjoyable and watchable today as it was 25 years ago.

The movie does have a pretty good cast ensemble, with the likes of Tim Robbins, Martin Lawrence, John C. McGinley, Giancarlo Esposito, Michael McKean and Kelly Preston on the cast list. Tim Robbins really is phenomenal in this action comedy.

If you enjoy action comedies, then you definitely should give writer and director Steve Oedekerk's 1997 movie "Nothing to Lose" a chance, if you haven't already seen it, of course.

My rating of "Nothing to Lose" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

Winging it simply doesn't make a good movie.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 4/10 · 7 January 1999]

Steve Oedekirk's tepid Nothing to Lose is a lame comedy with Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence as an odd-couple buddy pairing who team up to steal $600, 000. Robbin's comes home early to find his wife in bed with his boss and runs away to the desert, taking car-jacker Lawrence with him, to think things over.

The dialogue is hackneyed and stilted, the plot is horribly contrived and Lawrence seems to have been given freedom to improvise, which is is clearly not good at. He resorts mainly to doing his xenophobic 'Oooh white folks' thing while Robbins lumbers around like an idiot.

None of the jokes work, the humor is far from clever and the set-ups are obvious. The bland photography and silly score are so incredibly 90s that the film, merely ten years old, looks heavily dated.

There are better things that you could be doing with your time.

Another Childhood Favorite!!!

[Pumpkin_Man · 10/10 · 13 June 2009]

Ever since I saw this at the theatre when I was 7 years old, this has been one of my favorite movies! Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence were awesome together! Robbins plays an advertising executive named Nick Beam who has a pretty good life and an awesome wife. One day when he comes home, he thinks he sees his wife and his boss having sex. After going into deep depression, he is almost mugged by a man named T. Paul. Nick turns the tables and kidnaps the robber. They soon become friends and come up with a plan to rob Nicks boss. They soon must deal with a pair of bad guys who also want the money. I highly recommend NOTHING TO LOSE!!!

Great Buddy Comedy with amazing cast

[jt-nutt · 7/10 · 3 August 2021]

The 90's had a ton of buddy comedies and this one got lost in the fold, sadly. The cast is great as many of the actors have gone on to do great things in TV. But it's got a great message and has many funny moments. Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins have great chemistry as do John C. McGinley and Giancarlo Esposito. The latter two especially as ruthless robbers in the desert. I forgot this is one of the few Steve Oedekerk directed movies. Wish he did more actually. But it's perfectly placed, well scripted, acted well, and just the right length. It touches a bit on the economic issues of America. Tim Robbins playing Nick Beam was a trip knowing the character probably wouldn't agree with anything Tim Robbins does in real life. Martin Lawrence gets overshadowed a lot in the 90's by Will Smith but he's really solid in this. I mean he could be Denzel Washington. Take a good look. It's funny that Nick Beam the executive is a better criminal than Martin Lawrence while Martin is a better husband and knows a ton about electronics but can't get a job because of the color of his skin. The scene with the tarantula is comedy gold and the scene with Grandma slapping everyone is great as well. Lots of great one liners throughout the movie make it worthwhile. You can't go wrong with the 90+ minutes spent. I mean you really have.... Nothing to Lose.

not funny to me

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 24 May 2015]

Successful ad exec Nick Beam (Tim Robbins) finds what appears to be his wife Ann (Kelly Preston) having sex with his boss Philip Barlow (Michael McKean). He's in shock and then T-Paul (Martin Lawrence) tries to carjack him. Instead, he kidnaps T-Paul drives him out into the Arizona desert. They decide to join up to rob Nick's boss in revenge for the affair.

This boils down to simply whether one finds Martin Lawrence funny or not. He's funny with somebody like Will Smith but I don't find his other stuff that funny. I don't find his antics that funny. I need his partner to be loud enough and big enough to throw it all back at him. His partner should be quick and sharp. Only Will Smith has done it for me.