Rat Race (2001) User Reviews

Very funny and entertaining. You're bound to have a good time. *** (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 7/10 · 18 September 2001]

RAT RACE / (2001) *** (out of four

"Rat Race" revives a genre Hollywood has neglected since the sixties: the big event, ensemble chase comedy. Who better to breathe life into the subject than Jerry Zucker, the mastermind behind the "Naked Gun" films, and "Airplane," two of the most hilarious movies I have seen. After years of directing straight dramas, Zucker says he is thrilled to be back doing comedy. "It's very visual and there are lots of big visual stunts," Zucker explains in the film's production notes, "kind of a James Bond comedy in a way because there are so many sight gags."

Good comparison-"Race Race" is indeed a visual comedy. Its laugh-a-minute attitude works for the creative situations. The audience does not necessarily laugh at every single joke the movie throws, but the humor is timed well. "Rat Race" also contains a terrific cast and provides enough laughs to be worthy of at least one viewing.

John Cleese stars as the eccentric Las Vegas casino tycoon named Donald Sinclair. He wants to keep his wealthy, high stakes gamblers interested in his gambling techniques so he arranges a new, quasi-legal sporting event for them to bet on: a human rat race.

Sinclair randomly places six golden coins in several different slot machines. The customer service sends the winners to a large banquet room where the characters learn of a two million dollar jackpot resting in a duffel bag, inside a locker, within the city of Silver City, New Mexico-seven hundred miles away. The fist one there keeps all of the money, tax-free. "…the odds of winning are one and six…" explains Sinclair. "There's only one rule: there are no rules!" The players include a vast variety of different characters. There is Vera Baker (Whoopi Goldberg), who, after giving her child up for adoption as a baby, has decided to meet her daughter, Merrill (Lanai Chapman). Owen Temleton (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), an NFL coach who recently blew an important game, has come to the sin city to forget his horrendous mistake. Mr. Pollini (Rowan Akinson from "Bean") is an exuberantly cheerful, but narcoleptic, Italian fellow. Randy Pear (Jon Lovitz), and his family is vacationing when he slips off to play slots and wins the chance of a lifetime. The Cody brothers (Seth Green and Vince Vieluf), are first to cause trouble in any crowd. Finally, Nick (Breckin Meyer) a skeptical young lawyer-in-training, meets a charming young woman (Amy Smart), and encounters plenty of adventures with her.

"Rat Race" offers plenty of hit and miss humor. Much of it misses, but much of it hits the mark as well. The majority of the humor is physical and exaggerated. Very little offers sharp, witty satire on any part of culture. The film says something about greed in a zany sort of way, but for the most part this is just a two hour laugh riot, nothing more, nothing less.

However, this is a tricky script to write, and for the overall result to provide this much effective comic material, Andrew Breckman's ingenious script is indeed successful. It's not easy writing a comedy like this, and Breckman does indeed run into a few problems in the overcrowded plot. Even more difficult is creating a conclusion for a story like this. No matter how you end it, you are certain to displease at least some audience members. Breckman has found a way to have his cake and eat it too. I would never dream of revealing how this race concludes itself, but I will say it is not exceedingly satisfying, but sure does work over the obvious other possibilities.

"Rat Race" is one of the funniest movies of the year. It's energetic, irrelevant, and entertaining. You are sure to have a decent time.

Fun Comedy.

[RhapsodyReviews · 7/10 · 10 November 2019]

Review: 'Rat Race' is a comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker. It is based on Stanley Kramer's 1963 classic 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'. I keep for getting about this movie and when I happen to see it on TV, I'm pleasantly surprised. It's one of the best ensembles in a comedy to come out of the 21st Century so far. Eccentric tycoon Donald Sinclair - played by John Cleese - devises a game to entertain the high rollers who visit his Las Vegas casino. He arranges for six competitors to race the 563 miles to Silver City, New Mexico, where the winner's prize of $2 million has been placed in a luggage locker. Unbeknownst to them, Sinclair's wealthy patrons place bets on who will win it all. Everybody in this movie was born to play the roles they were given. If I had to pick a standout it would have to be a tie between Seth Green and Vince Vieluf. They play brother and the way they can play off each other and make the comedy grow in scenes in fantastic. They are hands down the funniest duo in the film. Is it perfect movie? No, or course it's not, it's a fun dumbed down comedy that wants you to have a good time and it succeeds in its mission. If the you don't think the movie is self aware in the fact that it is a ridiculous concept, wait till the ending and you will realise. Overall, anybody can have fun in this movie if you can turn your brain off and see the movie for what it is. 3.5/5

A guiltless pleasure that is funny simply because it doesn't rely on a boatload of fart jokes

[Agent10 · 7/10 · 2 July 2002]

After seeing the first trailer for this film, I thought

it would too hokey for my tastes. However, like has happened on many other occasions, I was surprised by the humor in the film. While the principal characters were important in the movie, why didn't Wayne Knight get any billing? He's probably one of the best overweight actors since John Candy, and this guy can't get any work!? He was the only good reason to watch Seinfeld. Anyway, I felt this movie was quite a departure for some actors, and a great one for those who have made a movie such as this before. Jon Lovitz was excellent in this film, along with Mr. Bean (or Rowan Atkinson as he is called by non-Mr. Bean fans, who must be a sad group of people). The only downside to this film was the ending, which had yet another bad song by Smashmouth (and it was All-Star once again!). Overall, a good movie.

A human horse race!

[mermatt · 17 August 2001]

AIRPLANE! crashes into MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD!

Duck and cover. The antics are silly, but they come at you fast and furious -- a transvestile Lucy (in a whole bunch of Lucys), squirrels, cows, balloons, a dead dog, a heart transplant, car wrecks, bowel movements, a bullet train, and much much more.

It's slapstick and double take time in this zany comedy about human greed and just plain old stupidity. The story line gets pretty ragged at times but it is funny. And it even has a message.

If you want to lose yourself for two hours in a nutty comedy, this is a good bet.

A nice comedy to lighten up a miserable day

[philip_vanderveken · 7/10 · 2 August 2005]

I must say that I had some very high expectations when I saw the names of the actors that played a role in this comedy. With people like John Cleese and Rowan Atkinson, I hoped for the best, although I must also admit that I'm not a fan of Whoopi Goldberg, which still made me doubt about it. However, I didn't see it as a reason not to watch this movie and that's why I gave this "Rat Race" a try.

When a group of billionaires is searching for something new to bet on, they find the perfect solution for their 'problem' in the new game that Las Vegas casino owner Donald P. Sinclair has invented. He has pulled a group of six strangers together and tells them that they will have to race to Silver City, New Mexico, where the first one to arrive will be able to retrieve $2 million hidden in a locker. The only rule is that there are no rules. Everything is allowed in order to get there first. At first they don't really believe this is a true race, but it doesn't take long before the narcoleptic Italian immigrant, the desperate father, the disgraced NFL referee, the decent lawyer, a team made up by a mother and daughter and another one made up by two weird brothers all embark on this weird adventure.

What I liked most about this comedy was that it didn't rely on all those fart jokes and other toilet humor that you find too often in today's comedies. This is still a movie full of decent jokes and I must say that I had some very good laughs with it. However, that doesn't mean that this was a perfect movie. Take for instance Rowan Atkinson. I normally like all his parts, but this time I was quite disappointed by his performance. I'm not saying that I know someone better to play the role of Enrico Pollini, but this certainly wasn't Atkinson's finest. On the other hand I must say that John Cleese was very nice as the eccentric casino owner.

Overall this isn't the best comedy ever, but I like to see it as one of those guilty pleasures, which can sometimes lighten up a miserable day. The story is completely over-the-top and absurd, but that's OK, because this is a comedy. The acting is pretty good most of the time and especially John Cleese and Cuba Gooding Jr. were a nice surprise. That's why I give this movie a rating between 6.5/10 and 7/10.

OK as long as it doesn't directly try to copy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 5 October 2006]

"Rat Race" has widely been viewed as a semi-remake of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". Personally, I think that no movie can equal the latter. So, as long as this one doesn't actually try to ape that one, it comes out pretty good. Once again portraying a gaggle of people in a wild race to try and find an exorbitant amount of money, the movie is mostly an excuse to be silly, not really focusing on greed the way that "IAMMMMW" did.

Ignoring that, it's basically a litany of hilarity. Whether it's John Cleese's slimy weirdo, Rowan Atkinson's narcoleptic Italian (why didn't they cast Roberto Benigni in that role?), Jon Lovitz in Hitler's car, Cuba Gooding Jr. driving a most unusual bus, Whoopi Goldberg learning a lesson about squirrels, or something else, they just go all out here. All in all, it's good for a fun time, if nothing else. Also starring Breckin Meyer, Amy Smart, Seth Green, Vince Vieluf, Kathy Najimy, Kathy Bates and Dave Thomas.

Dumb fun

[drawoh · 7/10 · 4 November 2006]

It would be a shame to be too sophisticated to enjoy this silly movie. Critics hammered it for being a remake of It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, or accused it of reverting back to MMMMW's formula of selling the movie with a hundred big names who do little more than mug for the camera.

But these guys are all busting their butts to entertain us. Yes, post-adolescents will be able to see most of the gags coming a mile away, but when their execution surpasses our expectations what's not to like? This is, after all, directed by the same Zucker who gave us Airplane, and it shares the same DNA.

Watch it with your kids, and appreciate the ending that leaves them with a nice message as a bonus. Even if you only cherry pick the scenes featuring a bus load of Lucy impersonators it's worth the rental.

Rat Race was Fast Paced

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 27 June 2007]

This movie sneaked up and bit me like nobody's business. No way did I think this movie would be good or even funny. It ended up being both. I mean, it was genuinely funny. I am always skeptical of all star casts because the hopes are higher and it is difficult for those hopes to be realized.

The movie attacked the plot from several different angles. Each angle being a different participant of the game to get to the money first. Some characters and some scenarios were funnier than others, but they all held their own. It ended up being a feel good story in the end which added some extra flavor to it all.

One of the best non-sense movies

[sazo-2 · 9/10 · 4 February 2006]

From a point of view it is not convenient to give a very high mark to a movie like this, but I believe that movies have to be rated in different categories. So it could happen that such a movie receives a greater mark than a movie from a different category, which by the way has a greater artistic value.

Anyway, if you like non-sense movies with absurd scenes, this is for you. The movie succeeds without clever jokes, with its hilarious scenes to make fun of the greedy or the "don't know how to spend their money" people. One absurd scene follows the other, and if you like such humor you will soon find yourself convulsed with laughter. Sometimes it may appear forced, but this is a characteristic for the genre. If you just want a fun and action packed movie, this is a very good choice.

Crazy Race

[Bluesradio62 · 7/10 · 7 January 2020]

A crazy race that involves some name actors and helicopters, a bus load full of Lucy's, and cars going at Hyper speed, participants being chased by Nazis and Motorcycle gangs, and a whole lot of other zaniness....and ends with a positive humanitarian message with where the money finally goes......

Why?

[kraemerdenis · 3/10 · 2 August 2005]

I certainly enjoyed the original movie, but this "remake" just lacked everything. The plot is not the best, most characters are a very bad joke and the acting is far from splendid. The only time I could really laugh (probably because I am a history student and on top of that from Germany and therefore knew what was meant) was in the scene with the "Barbie" museum. I was watching this in a movie theater in Scotland and apart from me, nobody seemed to get the joke... I wonder how it was in America (or anywhere else for that matter). Apart from that, the classic is still way ahead of this. So, why even try to make a new version of a classic when you can't even get close to it?

Clean fun for the whole family!

[hacks-56635 · 9/10 · 16 November 2020]

Years later it still holds up.

Extreme but well done comedy masterpiece with an all star cast, a fun premise, good execution, and a satisfying conclusion.

Recommend for fun light viewing.

Very silly, but highly watchable

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 10 October 2016]

There are some movies that are too dumb to watch and there are those that are fun to watch because they're so dumb. 'Rat Race' definitely falls into the latter. The plot – or what little there is of one – centres around an eccentric billionaire from Las Vegas (played to perfection by the legendary John Cleese) offering eight strangers the chance to win two million dollars, if they can be the first to reach the briefcase full of loot some five hundred miles away. What follows is your average 'road movie.' Therefore, in the grand tradition of such greats as 'The Cannonball Run' it's basically a series of sketches depicting the exploits of the eight sets of chancers as they lie, cheat and manipulate their way across the American desert in order to claim the money.

It could be just average, but what definitely makes it worth watching is its stellar cast. I've already mentioned John Cleese (who isn't in it enough for my liking!), but you also have such greats as Rowen Atikinson, Whoopie Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr and John Lovitz. With a cast containing that lot it was always going to be better than your average adult comedy. And, yes, it probably is more geared towards adults. Although most of it could actually be suitable for children as well, there are a few scenes here and there that you wouldn't really want to explain to someone younger than a teenager! Some may criticise it for having little 'character development,' but it is a film loaded with different characters and it's not overly long, so it was always going to be geared towards laughs over depth and substance.

Ultimately, Rat Race is the kind of film you can have on in the background while you do some colouring or play with your phone – it won't matter too much that you've missed a bit here and there – you'll still pick up the plot pretty quickly and raise a smile at whatever ludicrous antic is going on. It's certainly good fun if you're not expecting too much and just want a silly giggle. The cast appear to be having fun while they make it and there's no reason you shouldn't either.

Entertaining, but disappointing

[matlock-6 · 3/10 · 5 July 2003]

Rat Race is an average film at best, and unfortunately is a victim of it's own construction. Essentially a re-make of a 1963 film called "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", it suffers from too little character development, and far too many stupid scenes that aren't very funny.

The huge cast of stars, one of the film's biggest attractions, is also it's greatest liability. So many good comedic actors appear that the movie jumps around far too much to give any one of them nearly enough time to really satisfy the audience. Just when you're beginning to enjoy Rowan Atkinson's goofy "Enrico Pollini" character interacting with Wayne Knight, the shot jumps elsewhere. It felt too much like 5 or 6 movies that they jammed together into 1.

Some of the silly comedy is a bit too silly (read: stupid) to be believable as well. Why would Jon Lovitz's character say "That's a nice dike" (meaning to say "bike") to a tough looking female on a Harley? I didn't laugh, I just thought "moron".

It was just way too over-the-top and out of control. That said, I think it worked as well as it could, and I wasn't sorry I watched it.

I have a feeling the original might be better, but I'll have to watch it before I make that call.

FUNNY!

[dross27 · 8 December 2002]

This movie, for those of you old enough to remember it, will see the similarities to the old Spencer Tracy "It's a Mad Mad Mad World..." But this is a great time for the whole family. It includes a star studded cast, and the typical comedic gags that we have to expect where one of the Zucker boys is involved. One of the greatest things about this movie on DVD vs. seeing it at the theater is the outtake section on the DVD. I am a sucker for outtakes anyway, but once you've seen this film, and then watch this section, it is all the funnier! I also thought this was a great vehicle for certain members of the cast to do show their comedic abilities. Enjoy the film

Jon Lovitz steals the show!

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 9 May 2016]

The basic premise is simple - six keys, one locker, and a race for $2 million dollars. The plot has eccentric casino owner Donald Sinclair (a top form Cleese with some rather odd false teeth!), pull together 8 random people whom he gets to race from Las Vegas to New Mexico for a prize of $2,000,000 whilst he takes bets on the outcome. And what a group he has assembled. Mix into that some utterly hammy acting, Nazi Barbies, a cow tied to a hot-air balloon, and a woman intent on selling squirrels, and you've found yourself in the middle of Rat Race. And it's actually not bad. Rowan Atkinson's Italian, with an intentionally ridiculous accent and the line "Oh, a race! ...I hope I win" is frankly a remix of Mr Bean, whilst John Cleese's casino owner is classic Fawlty with extra teeth. But both those characters are classics, and stirred into this film, they become still funnier.

Many of the talents used in 'Rat Race' include Whoopi Goldberg, John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson (re-using many aspects of his Mr. Bean persona), Cuba Gooding, Jr., Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, and a plethora of others. There are a few surprises, and the movie takes a lot of unexpected, very funny turns. This is a screwball comedy which simply wants to make you laugh for a couple of hours. It is fluff, but fluff in the best possible sense. Quite enjoyable. I left the cinema with a smile on my face.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

It makes me laugh

[jkstill-34386 · 7/10 · 23 April 2022]

Say what you will about this movie, but it makes me laugh, every time.

It is reminiscent of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad (was that enough Mads?), but it is not a remake.

It is funny in its own right.

A lot like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" but with far fewer laughs and far fewer interesting actors.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 August 2018]

Many years ago, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" brought together a lot of funny people and some excellent writing to create a neat comedy . "Rat Race" is an attempt to create a similar sort of film, though the results are very uneven...much more so than the original.

The story begins in Las Vegas. Seven different people find a special coin in the slot machine--one that tells them to immediately see the boss (John Cleese). When they all do, they learn that they all have a chance to win $2,000,000. How? The money is supposedly in a dufflebag inside a locker in Silver City, New Mexico...and each is given a copy of the key. And, the first one there gets it all! And, knowing human nature, you know they won't just decide to work together and split the money....greed sets in big time!

Some of the stories are very funny--particularly Jon Livitz and his family trip to the Barbie museum. That one made me laugh out loud many times. A few are just okay. And, a few are just not funny at all and are complete wastes of time--such as Rowan Atkinson and his ridiculously unfunny character as was the guy who talked funny because he had a stud in his tongue. Both were tiresome....and a tiny bit of them would have been enough. Overall, an incredibly uneven movie that really could have used a re-write....and a huge infusion of humor.

Still makes me laugh!

[daillstate · 6/10 · 10 May 2020]

The Jon Lovitz bit still makes me laugh so hard I tear up! I even found myself laughing at other parts that I didn't laugh at before. No way this could be done in 2020, so it's comedic gold!

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad-- Rat Race?

[jhclues · 8/10 · 7 February 2002]

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you're probably thinking it looks hilarious and you've made a mental note that it's one you don't want to miss. More often than not, however, the funniest stuff is in the previews, and when you see the whole movie it's a let-down. But I'm here to tell you, that is decidedly NOT the case with `Rat Race,' directed by Jerry Zucker, and furthermore, make a mental note: This movie is hilarious, and one you DO NOT want to miss. In the tradition of Stanley Kramer's 1963 BIG comedy hit, `It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,' this one is exactly what it is supposed to be-- Fun (yes, with a capital `F'), and Funny-- with one laugh after another that just keep on a-comin'.

Las Vegas casino owner Donald Sinclair (John Cleese), likes to offer his elite customers-- the `high rollers'-- something they can't get anywhere else, in the form of things they can gamble on that are so bizarre you can only imagine. And the big one he comes up with this time begins with the planting of six lucky tokens in his slot machines. Those who win the tokens are invited to attend a meeting, at which time Sinclair announces that they are to be the lucky participants in a `race' of sorts. In a train station locker in the small town of Silver City, New Mexico, there is $2,000,000 waiting for whomever gets to it first. He passes out six identical keys to the token bearers that will open the locker, shouts `Go!' and they're off! And Sinclair's high rollers proceed to put down some big bucks on their favorite horse-- uh, dog!-- uh-- Well, you get the idea...

The participants include Nick (Breckin Meyer), who is pretty much just a regular guy; NFL referee Owen Templeton (Cuba Gooding Jr.), hated by millions because of a recent botched call; brothers Duane and Blaine Cody (Seth Green, Vince Vieluf), not the brightest bulbs to begin with, and hampered in their communications by Blaine's newly pierced tongue; a mother, Vera (Whoopi Goldberg), and the daughter she gave up for adoption and with whom she has just reunited, Merrill (Lanei Chapman); Randy Pear (Jon Lovitz), who has a hard time making his wife, Bev (Kathy Najimy), and their two kids, Kimberly (Jillian Marie) and Jason (Brody Smith) understand why he's interrupted their Vegas vacation to drag them off suddenly to New Mexico; and-- last but not least-- Enrico Pollini (Rowan Atkinson), a narcoleptic Italian. It's quite the eclectic bunch, and they definitely put on quite a show.

During the rush for the gold, they encounter a number of people and situations that drive the laugh meter through the roof, including: A woman (Kathy Bates) selling squirrels by the roadside (Vera and Merrill); a group of `Lucy' impersonators on their way to some kind of Lucy convention (Owen); a `Barbie' museum that isn't what it seems, and not a great place for the Jewish Pear family to visit; an errant cow, a hot air balloon and a guy who overhears too much (Duane and Blaine); a jealous helicopter pilot named Tracy (Amy Smart), who buzzes her boyfriend's house at a most inopportune time (Nick); an ambulance driver, Zack (Wayne Knight), who is transporting a human heart for a transplant, and suffers something akin to the same fate as that famous `cat' due to his curiosity (Enrico). Zucker and writer Andy Breckman pulled out all the stops with this one, and the result (and there's much, much, MUCH more than what's mentioned here) is some pretty wild stuff.

The secret to making this all work, is above all to keep it moving-- and Zucker certainly does that. He relies heavily on sight gags and slapstick, and knows how to set up the schtick for a real payoff, which he succeeds at time and again throughout the entire film. it's all fairly controlled insanity, and with a couple of exceptions when Zucker wanders into Jim Carrey/Farrelly Brothers territory, it's pretty easy to swallow. Most importantly, IT'S FUNNY! with enough different kinds of humor thrown in to satisfy just about any taste. And that's a rare thing to be said of any comedy, and it's a big part of why this one's such a gem.

The cast is superb, but the highlights have to be Cuba Gooding Jr., who demonstrates a real knack for comedy; John Cleese, who can make you laugh just by smiling, brandishing as he does a spectacular set of teeth; and Rowan Atkinson, who does some masterful bits of physical comedy, the likes of which rivals the best of Peter Sellers and Buster Keaton. The way he mugs and moves is absolutely hysterical.

The supporting cast includes Gloria Allred (Herself), Dave Thomas (Mr. Grisham), Dean Cain (Shawn), Paul Rodriguez (Gus), Brandy Ledford (Vicky), Tristin Leffler (Pierced Girl) and Andrew Kavovit. One that lives up to it's expectations and more, `Rat Race' is everything you want it to be, a laugh a minute movie that never lets up, and one that won't wear your brain out making you think about it too much. This is pure entertainment that'll lead you down the road to riot (make that `laugh' riot). There hasn't been anything quite like this since Jimmy Durante kicked that bucket and started that other bunch of madcaps off looking for `The big 'dub-a-yeh'.' Zucker and his gang really pulled this one off, and moreover, they did it with style. And that's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 8/10.

Brilliant cast of characters

[ginge_mickey · 6/10 · 5 March 2022]

Rat Race has a brilliantly intriguing storyline and a fantastic cast of characters to match, particularly Roman Atkinson and Jon Lovitz.

It's a fast paced film full of comedic set pieces which for the most part of keenly amusing. The occasional joke doesn't land and a few things haven't aged well (such as the disgusted reaction to the cross dresser in the 'Lucy's group').

Just bad.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 3/10 · 18 October 2001]

Rat Race is structured as a series of bad and tasteless jokes strung together by a flimsy clothesline of a plot dealing with a race of a bunch of random people trying to reach the same destination in order to obtain a huge stash of money that may or may not even really be there. Rat Race is disappointing from the very beginning, because it starts off by showing four or five of the exact scenes that we already saw in the preview and that have therefore lost all effectiveness. This is not a movie based on reality – there can really be no question that even the most eccentric of casino owners would never seriously consider picking a bunch of random gamblers out of their casinos and sending them off on this all-expenses-paid excursion to find a duffle bag containing two million dollars. Sure, these casino guys are all ridiculously rich, but Rat Race doesn't acknowledge the fact that rich people didn't get rich by giving money away. There is no financial return at all in the rat race portrayed here, or even any publicity!

(spoilers – but does it really matter?) Rat Race is filled with actors who delivered goofy performances that are far below both their iconography and their reputations as actors. Cuba Gooding Jr. - after great performances in infinitely superior films like As Good As It Gets, Jerry Maguire, Outbreak, and A Few Good Men – performs several idiotic and humiliating skits throughout the course of this horribly disappointing movie. John Cleese manages to deliver some of the only funny lines in the entire film through his comical dentures, but still sinks far below his talent in this borefest. Other bad career choices were made by Seth Green, Amy Smart, and even the more negligible actors, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, and Jon Lovitz. Seth Green, actually, is mostly in a bad role by association. His brother in the film is one of the dumbest characters I've ever seen in a movie, and his disgusting tongue piercing only serves to enhance his tremendous stupidity. I've had my tongue double-pierced since early 1997, have made little to no changes in my oral hygiene, and have never had an infection. If his tongue was that infected, it is entirely a result of his own idiocy (as we soon learn, with the realization that his piercing is self-inflicted), and therefore commands no sympathy or respect. If he wants sympathy, Major Payne can explain to him where to find it. Incidentally, the way he met a girl on the freeway (who shows up later at the Smash Mouth concert) was a shocking move to an even lower level.

The movie goes wrong at the very beginning. It's clear that a mass travel to a single location is not the foundation of a good comedy, so they decided to throw in this ludicrous scene where Duane Cody (Seth Green) and his idiot brother get their jeep dragged up the sonar station at the airport in an attempt to ground all flights so that their opponents will not be able to fly to the location of the money (and if they had caught their flight in the first place, the movie would have been over in minutes and we would all have been spared). So at the expense of their remaining means of travel, they have successfully drowned out radio airwaves and grounded all flights. It's too bad the movie was released so soon, because if they had waited until after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the scene would almost certainly have been changed, and the movie could only have been better. This is one of the most moronic scenes in the entire movie, which makes you wonder why they didn't just have Cleese's character add in a stipulation that all transportation must be done on the ground. If the movie had been set for release after the catastrophic terrorist attacks, and they had decided to remove the scene, such a stipulation is almost certainly the thing that they would have decided on, both because it would be the fastest and cheapest replacement, but also because such a tragic event would surely make them realize how foolish the scene was to begin with.

While Rat Race manages to avoid sinking to the abysmal level of other ludicrous comedies like the Scary Movies, it is clearly a mindless film that does not quite manage to redeem itself by having at least one or two things in it that can be taken seriously enough for it to be funny. The movie is bad enough even without the appearance of Smash Mouth at the end of the film, who are playing a concert for the poor. The way that all of the contestants in the movie stumble on stage with their newfound wealth at the end of the flim (I typed that accidentally just now, but it strikes me as a better word…), ultimately deciding to donate it to the poor, is both insulting and disappointing. Sure, it would be a bad idea to make a movie that did nothing but promote greed, but all that time and effort by the characters as well as the audience is completely wasted (this is also one of the many things that ruined Titanic). It certainly is a good cause, but it is entirely uninteresting. You'd think that the virtually endless possibilities of the cinema would have inspired the film's writer (or writers, could there possibly have been more than one?) to come up with something more creative than this. In reality, donating to the poor, especially such a huge amount of money, is truly honorable and earns you a well-deserved interview and article in the newspaper. In the movies, it is a cheap way to get out of being accused of advertising greed, and winds up as little more than a boring end to a bad movie.

One of the funnest comedies of 2001

[wuzupn_tb · 8/10 · 17 November 2002]

From start to finish, it's all laughs. The movie is meant to be wacky and to be really taken seriously. I especially love the part when Jon Lovitz looks like Hitler. It's one of the best popcorn comedies of 2001. Just sit back and have fun. B+, 8/10

my notes

[FeastMode · 7/10 · 1 July 2019]

Very funny with a great cast and fun premise. this movie shouldn't be taken seriously. there are lots of parts that make no sense and lots of cheesy/campy parts. but still very enjoyable along with some nostalgia (about 4 viewings)

Poor movie, ridiculous characters, lame jokes and very bad taste

[Little_Tyke · 1/10 · 4 June 2012]

Toilet humour, a segment that would probably get the movie banned in Germany, and Rowan Atkinson. Plenty of reasons to avoid this movie. It didn't start out well and got worse as it progressed. I managed about 40 minutes and then I'd had enough and switched off. Hollywood just can't do decent movies any more. They're either lame, like this one, or they are extremely violent. Spoilers: The reference to concentration camps was in very bad taste and I doubt whether because of it the movie would ever be shown in Germany. And about 30 minutes in there was a little girl with her backside hanging out of a moving car window doing Number Twos because her father refused to stop the car. Who on earth writes this rubbish?