Envy

Ben Stiller and Jack Black shun Hollywood conformity to take on daring new roles in a mismatched-buddy comedy pairing an uptight loser with a dreamy wild man. The bold new material begins with Tim (Stiller) toiling alongside zany coworker Nick (Black) at a sandpaper factory. When Nick invents a spray that eliminates dog stool on contact, Tim backs off before it reaps millions, and the resulting jealousy breeds Envy—which breeds about three laughs. We’re not asking for much here, but with two genuinely funny talents, the biggest laughs shouldn’t be coming from CACA KING and POO CZAR vanity license plates. Turns out, spraying traditional Stiller and Black shtick over subpar material doesn’t work, no matter how much you like them. (Though, we must admit, it was fun watching the two wrestle over tiny morsels of punch lines.) The two stars are even overshadowed by Christopher Walken’s brief supporting role as the movie’s most memorable character. Genuinely funny actors struggling through a movie that asks the prevailing question: “Where does the poo go?” is funny for all the wrong reasons.