Shallow Hal -- PG-13
Starring: Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Alexander
Directed by: The Farrelly Brothers
The Farrelly Brothers are the undisputed kings of modern day gross-out comedy. With "Shallow Hal," their latest flick now on DVD, the boys make a slight transition from the time-tested dick and fart jokes so prevalent in their other works i.e. "Dumb and Dumber," "Kingpin" and "There's Something About Mary" to a narrative steeped in heartwarming sentiment with only the occasional vulgarity.
The entirely kick-ass Jack Black stars as Hal Larson, a man who is sweet and caring by nature but has the flaw of not looking beyond a woman's physical appearance. This all changes when Hal encounters self-help guru Tony Robbins (playing his "charming" self) in a stalled elevator. Tony quickly sees the goodness within Hal and soon hypnotizes him to see only a woman's inner beauty. Shortly after, Hal happens upon a Peace Corps volunteer named Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), who looks exactly like the aforementioned star, but in reality is a 300-pound woman with a heart of gold. He's smitten and enters into a whirlwind romance, unaware of her actual appearance.
"Shallow Hal" isn't a film that screams out for DVD purchase; it's not as side-splittingly funny as "Dumb and Dumber," "Kingpin" or "Mary." But that's not to say it's not humorous -- it is. The flick just wears its heart blatantly upon its sleeve.
The disc has a decent amount of features. Figuring most prominently among them is the full-length audio commentary by the Farrelly Brothers in which listeners will realize that everyone in the film, aside from the key players, is either a friend or family member of the directors. They also frequently assert that Black was not wearing hair plugs, which is kind of funny. Other highlights include 11 deleted scenes (the best of which finds Hal and his equally shallow pal, Mauricio (Jason Alexander) bribing their way into a sorority party with a keg) and Comedy Central's "Reel Comedy: Shallow Hal," a television special that's enlivened by Black if nothing else.
Black and Paltrow both shine in "Shallow Hal." This coupled with the strong commentary track warrant purchase. Plus the flick amounts to more than the trailers would lead you to believe. It's not just an extended fat joke.
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