Dinner for Schmucks Directed by: Jay Roach Starring: Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, Lucy Punch Rating: NR Release Date: July 23, 2010

TRAILER SCORE: 6/10

MY THOUGHTS: To be fair, Steve Carell movies tend to be nothing stellar, but there’s something that always keeps me coming back to them. Really, I’ve watched an embarrassing amount of them and always find myself at least amused, despite the clichés that always work their ways into the movie. Dinner for Schmucks looks like no exception. I expect there will be some genuine laughs and, judging from the trailer, lessons will be learned and there will be hugs, and a satisfying “awww” conclusion. Most importantly though, there will be physical comedy that nobody else seems to do quite like Steve Carell. Sure, he’s no king of slapstick like Cary Grant, but he has a certain something that always makes me laugh. Throw Paul Rudd into the picture and you’ve got me sold. I’ve loved him ever since Clueless and even with smaller movies like the 2006 indie dramedy Diggers Rudd is charming, attractive, and hits just the right mark. Though it seems he’s been typecast as the straight-laced go-getter in some of his recent movies, like Role Models even, he brings life and laughs to a flat role like no one else. Although Dinner for Schmucks doesn’t look like anything too new (maybe because it’s a remake of a French film? Who knows, really?) but it looks like it’ll have enough laughs and even cringe-worthy Hallmark movie moment clichés in it to at least keep me entertained for one solid viewing.