Death at a Funeral – A Sony Pictures’ Release

http://DeathAtAFuneral-movie.com/

DVD Release Date: August 10th, 2010

Rated 14A for coarse language, nudity, and substance abuse

Running time: 92 minutes

Neil LaBute (dir.)

Dean Craig (writer)

Christophe Beck (music)

Martin Lawrence as Ryan

James Marsden as Oscar

Tracy Morgan as Norman

Chris Rock as Aaron

Peter Dinklage as Frank

Zoe Saldana as Elaine (as Zoë Saldaña)

Our reviews below:

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Death at a Funeral DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

This American remake of the 2007 British comedy Death at a Funeral offers 92 minutes of non-stop laughs.  When Aaron (Chris Rock) and Ryan (Martin Lawerance) get their large family back together for their father’s funeral, everything goes wrong.  But in terms of comedic payoff, everything goes right.  The largely African-American cast are all in top form, all playing well off each other.  The cast also includes the hilarious Peter Dinklage – the single cross over from the original, and James Marsden who is brilliant in every scene he’s in playing a character in a constant drug trip.

It’s crude, raunchy and in complete poor taste, and that’s what makes it so brilliantly hilarious.  There are sometimes several things going wrong at once, but every minute works due to expert timing.  And all of this is made worth it by a touching eulogy at the end.  Boasting a great cast, Death at a Funeral leaves you in a breathless state of hilarity.  The tagline says you’ll die laughing, but it more correctly should read that it leaves you laughing for long after the credits role.

The Blu-ray includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind the scenes featurettes, a gag reel, and a digital copy.

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Death at a Funeral DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/4 (out of 4)

Based on the 2007 British film of the same name, Death at a Funeral is a funny movie that has enough great lines for you to notice even more on a second viewing.

The whole cast is great in their roles.  Chris Rock plays a perfect straight man, trying to get everything back in order around him.  James Marsden is hilarious as a soon to be inlaw – who accidentally ends up on hallucinagenic drugs, and Peter Dinklage (who is the only cast member to reprise his role from the British version) makes you unable to imagine anyone else as the character.

The humour won’t be for everyone, but I enjoyed it.  This is one I consider fun for a laugh and well-worth a rental.

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Death at a Funeral DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Death at a Funeral is a ridiculously funny movie that will make you die laughing.  Based on an English film of the same name, this film tells the same story, except with an African-American family.  When the father of the family dies, they decide to hold the funeral at home.  Of course, there are the family disputes, which lead from one disaster to another.  Things really get out of hand when it turns out Dad had more than just a few skeletons in his closet.

Every moment of this film is laugh out loud comedy, even at times when you don’t think you should be laughing.  A body mixup scene at the beginning, James Marsden on “valium,” and Peter Dinklage showing up mysteriously, makes for a quirky film.  Buy this one, as it never gets old.

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Death at a Funeral DVD Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

This American re-make of the original British Death at a Funeral is incredibly funny.  So funny that you almost feel guilty laughing at of all things a funeral.

When an African-American man dies his distraught and dysfunctional family try to give him a proper send-off.  What they don’t know is that Daddy had a special little secret.  His funeral becomes a comedy of errors.

What makes this movie so good, aside from the really funny dialogue, is the amazing comedic cast.  Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan are hilarious.  The other actors including Peter Dinklage who was in the original British version are also really funny.  James Marsden naked and on ‘valium’ is too funny for words.

Death at a Funeral has to be seen to be believed and appreciated.  Buy it or rent it, this one stands up well to repeated viewings.

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Death at a Funeral DVD Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Death at a Funeral is a remake of a 2007 British film substituting a largely African-American cast, with only Peter Dinklage playing the same role in each version. Aaron (Chris Rock) is hosting his father’s funeral at his Los Angeles home, while his younger brother Ryan (Martin Lawrence), a successful but dissolute New York author of trashy novels, gets all the attention.  Their mother is nagging Aaron about a grandchild, and his wife just happens to be ovulating.  The boyfriend Oscar (James Marsden) of their cousin Elaine (Zoë Saldaña) has mistaken a strong psychedelic drug for valium and is acting really weird. The grumpy and foul-mouthed Uncle Russell (Danny Glover) arrives with family friend Norman (Tracy Morgan) and Elaine’s ex Derek (Luke Wilson). Frank (Peter Dinklage) makes an embarrassing claim on the inheritance.  This all makes for a fast-paced set of hilarious mishaps, often happening simultaneously, before the old man is laid to rest.

There is not a wasted second in this brilliant script, delivered by a strong cast. It took two viewings to get some of the gags missed the first time around, and like all the best movies Death at a Funeral will no doubt reward future viewings with familiar and previously overlooked delights.

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Consensus: With a hilarious script, and an all-star cast, Death at a Funeral is sometimes in poor taste, but it offers non-stop laughs from beginning to end. *** (Out of 4)